<£ttglt£ft C£t$moI60te ^, 



BY 



H. FOX TALBOT, Esq. 

lr — ~ 



Nor rude nor barren are the winding ways 
Of hoar antiquity — but strewn with flowers. 



Warton. 



LONDON: 
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 



1847. 




f£ 



n 



& 



Printed by J. & H. COX, Brothers, 74 & 75, Great Queen Street, 
Lincoln's-Inn Fields. 



/S007SO<) 



*T5 



PREFACE 



The Work now presented to the Public is 
intended as a small contribution towards the 
history of the English language. It is well known 
to philologers that many of our most important 
words stand in great need of illustration, the 
common notions respecting their origin being 
unsatisfactory, and often manifestly erroneous. 
Accordingly, I have chiefly examined the standard 
words of our language, and have seldom introduced 
the consideration of obsolete terms or mere pro- 
vincialisms. I think that a large proportion of the 
observations contained in this Work will be found 
to be new; for I have seldom given any well 
known etymologies, except with the intention of 
illustrating either a preceding or a subsequent 
article. 

In giving the opinion of previous inquirers, I 



VI PREFACE. 

have frequently quoted Johnson, and also Thom- 
son's Etymons of English Words. But it is 
evident that Johnson had no taste for etymology, 
so that the assistance to be derived from him is 
usually rather meagre. Thomson, on the contrary, 
was a remarkably acute philologer, and his work 
is a multum in parvo of great utility. 

To diversify the dry aspect of a dictionary, I 
have occasionally introduced some articles of 
greater length, approaching more nearly to the 
dimensions of an Essay. Indeed it often happens 
that in seeking for the origin of a single word, a 
much wider field of inquiry opens before the eye, 
and if carefully pursued, ultimately leads to the 
most unexpected conclusions, bearing upon the 
history, belief, manners, and customs of primitive 
times ; and sometimes with such a force of 
evidence as to leave no doubt whatever on the 
mind of the inquirer of the occurrence of parti- 
cular events, or the existence of peculiar customs, 
respecting which History is entirely silent : — 
— and of the falsity of many tilings on the other 
hand that have been handed down to us undoubt- 
ingly in her pages. 

But whoever follows philological researches must 
not expect an universal assent to the conclusions 
he may arrive at, however true they may be. 



PREFACE. Vll 

Like one who follows Ariadne's clue through a 
tortuous labyrinth, he may be himself convinced of 
its safe guidance, but unable to convince others — 
who have taken a different path. 

Etymology is the history of the languages of 
nations, which is a most important part of their 
general history. It often explains their manners 
and customs, and throws light upon their ancient 
migrations and settlements. It is the lamp by 
which much that is obscure in the primitive history 
of the world will one day be cleared up. At 
present much that passes for early history is mere 
vague speculation : but in order to build a durable 
edifice upon a firm foundation, materials must be 
carefully brought together from all quarters, and 
submitted to the impartial and intelligent judgment 
of those who are engaged in similar inquiries. 



ENGLISH ETYMOLOGIES, 

Sfc. 



Concert. 

It appears to me that Johnson fails entirely 
in his etymology of this word. He derives it 
from the Latin concertare, which means, to fight, 
dispute, quarrel : ex. gr. — 

Concertare cum inimico. — (Cicero.) 

Pluribus de regno concertantibus. — (Suetonius.) 

Ait modo hoc, modo illud, studio concerta- 
tionis — " out of love of dispute, or wran- 
gling." — ( Cicero. ) 
And, "contradictory opinions, where no two per- 
sons agree together," are called by Pliny, 

Concertationes sententiarum, nullo idem cen- 
sente. 

Now, is this like a Concert, harmony, or con- 
cord ? Is it not rather the direct reverse ? 

It is true that Johnson has thought fit to 

B 



translate the verb concertare differently, and he 
gives the following as the translation of it : — 

" To prepare themselves for some public exhi- 
bition or performance, by private encounters 
among themselves." 
But where does he discover any authority for 
such a meaning? 

The true etymology is given in Lemon's Dic- 
tionary; namely, Concert, from the Latin concert- 
tus, several voices singing in harmony. 

Concentus* is from concinere, to sing together. 
From hence, by a natural metaphor, come the 
expressions — To concert together. A concerted 
plan (one in which several agree or unite). A 
concerted signal. Acting by concert. 

Garland. 

Nearly the same in French and Italian, — guir- 
lande, ghirlanda. But the Spanish presents the 
important variation, gitirnalda. 

I think this word comes from the Latin Coro- 
nate, a wreath of flowers, f 

Cor'nal. Guirnal. Guirnalda. 

* A Symphony (rvptpmioc, from (paw, a voice). 

t A Spanish word nearly allied, is, coronilla, the crown of 
the head. 



The superfluous D need not create a difficulty. 
It is frequently added after L, as in the Spanish, 
Humilis, humilde ; 
Rebellis, rebelde. 

Raisin. 

In French the same. Menage derives it, cor- 
rectly, from racemus, a bunch of grapes. 

Currant. 

In French, dried currants are called "raisins 
de Corinthe." And it is generally said that they 
derive their name from Corinth. It must be 
acknowledged that they come to us from that 
neighbourhood ; the isle of Zante, however, ap- 
pears to be their chief place of growth. These 
currants are the produce of a diminutive species 
of grape. 

I rather incline to a different etymology; and 
I would suggest that currant is the Greek word 
xopupfiog, a bunch of grapes. This word, pro- 
nounced by the vulgar, would certainly become 
" currumb " or " currump" the change from which 
to currant is extremely easy. 

The English currant bush (ribes rubrum) is 
probably named from the general resemblance of 
its clusters of fruit to diminutive grapes. 



Foxglove. 

In Welsh this flower is called by the beautiful 
name of maneg ellyllon, or, the fairies' glove. 

Now, in the days of our ancestors, as every 
one knows, these little elves were called in En- 
glish, " the good folks." 

No doubt then, these flowers were called "the 
good folks' gloves," a name since shortened into 
foxgloves. 

The plant is called in French, gantelee (little 
glove) ; in Latin, digitalis ; and in German, fin- 
gerhut (thimble). 

It is worthy of remark, that the Greeks ap- 
pear to have called it by a name which is differ- 
ent from the above, but not inappropriate, " the 
trumpet flower." At least, so I conjecture from 
the name salvinca applied to it in the middle 
ages (see Reliq. Antiq. p. 36), which is doubt- 
less from the Greek, (rakiziyya^ a trumpet. 

Druid. 

The etymology from Apvg, an oak, is strongly 

supported. Welsh, derw, an oak : Derwi/dd, 

a Druid.* Welsh, darogan, to prophecy, seems to 

come from daro (an oak), gan, to sing. As in 

* Pronounced, deru, Deruyth. 



Latin, vaticinium, from canere. This reminds one 
of the fatidicce quercus of old. 

The Anglo-Saxon Dry appears to be derived 
from Druid. (Exod. 8, 19), " Then the magicians 
said," is translated, " Tha cwsedon tha dryas." 
And Dry-crceft was Magic. 

Another etymology has, however, occurred to 
me : — from Drulitin, the name of the Supreme 
Being in ancient German. If this were the case, 
" druid " would mean a priest or prophet, an ex- 
pounder of the divine oracles : just as the Latin 
divinus, a soothsayer, comes from divus, or deus. 

Whence does the Persian Dervish take his 
name ? It bears a resemblance to the Welsh 
Dervyth, or Derwydd. 

Canopy. 

Usually derived from xcova)7reiov, a musquito- 
net, which is from xwvayty, a musquito. If this 
etymology were true, it would be one of the 
most extraordinary changes of meaning in a word 
that could well be imagined. For what a vast 
interval there is from the idea of a musquito-net 
to that, for instance, of the Canopy of Heaven! 

But I believe that the resemblance of the 
word Canopy to xwua)^, a gnat, is purely acci- 
dental, and that it had a very different origin. 



Canopy, I think, meant originally a tent, or pa- 
vilion. 

Isaiah, 40. — " It is He that stretcheth out the 
heavens as a curtain,* and spreadeth them out as 
a tent to dwell in." See also Psalm 104, 2. 

So that the phrase " Canopy of Heaven " is 
highly proper, provided canopy meant originally a 
tent to dwell in. 

The material whereof tents are made is called 
in Russian, konopel ; Latin, cannabis ; Italian, ca- 
napa ; French and English, canevas, canvas. 

Of these, the Sclavonic konopel comes nearest 
to conopeum in Latin ; while the Italian canapa 
seems the origin of our canopy, as well as of the 
French and Italian canape, a chair of state. 

Sister. 
Almost the same in the other Teutonic lan- 

* Ennius speaks of the codi cor Una, which some translate 
cauldron ; it is surely the curtain of heaven. Spanish and Por- 
tuguese cortina, a curtain, no doubt from an ancient Latin 
word. 

Cortina, an oracle, is a curious word : — 

" Neque te Phcebi cortina fefeUit." 

Virg. Mn. 6, 347. 

It makes one think of a tabernacle veiled with curtains, 
from behind which issued an oracular voice. The ceremo- 
nial of the Delphic oracle, and the notions connected there- 
with, may have changed greatly during the lapse of ages. 



guages ; even in Russian it is sestra. The French 
sceur differs considerably. In the time of Philippe 
le Bel it was written sereur, from the Latin soror. 

Poland. 

German, Polen or Pohlen. The English have 
altered the last syllable into land by adding a D. 
But this is incorrect : " land " is not wanted ; but 
if added at all, it should have been Polenland. 
[Formerly in English we said Polayn.~\ 

I derive Polen from the Sclavonic word pole (la 
campagne), whence adj. poloski, flat or plain, be- 
cause that country consists of immense plains. 

I have since found the same etymology in Clu- 
verius, so that I suppose it is the received one. 

A similar name is that of the Netherlands, or 
Niederlande. 

Rib. 

Rib, in German, rippe, is akin to the Latin ripa 
{side of a stream, Yiwer-side, sea-side, sea-coast). 
A rib is, in Latin, costa ; in French, cote. 
Italian, costa means (1) a rib, (2) a coast. 
French, cote has the same two meanings. 
The same analogy is seen in — 

Italian ; canto, the side. 
Danish ; kant, the sea-coast. 



8 

But whether litus, the sea-shore, is related to 
latus, the side, is doubtful. The analogy of the 
above examples is in its favour. 

In Russian, a rib is rebro. 

Bark. 

French, barque ; Italian and Spanish, barca ; 
Russian, barka (boat) ; hence, embarquer, embar- 
car, &c. 

A very general word, probably ancient. 

Thomson thinks that Area, a ship or ark, is 
related to this. 

Russet. 
Byzantine Greek, potxriog, red, red-brown ; Latin, 
russeus. The Italian rosso, red, is related to this. 

Sledgehammer. 
Anglo-Sax. slecge, related to German, schlagen. 

Ague. 

By some derived from acuta febris, but badly 
enough, since it is the reverse. Thomson shews 
that it comes from Anglo-Sax. ege, a trembling. 
And Murray (Hist, of the European Languages, 
p. 417) derives it from Sanscrit ej, to tremble. 
Perhaps the two etymologies coincide. 



9 

Field. 

Tooke derives this word from feWd, because 
he says it means land prepared for cultivation 
by felling the timber on it. As if England or 
Europe had been until then one primaeval forest ! 

This puts one in mind of the American travel- 
ler, who crossing Salisbury Plain, declared it was 
the most magnificent clearing he had ever be- 
held ! 

Tooke did not consider that the Germans and 
Anglo-Saxons also say feld ; the Dutch, veld ; the 
Danes, felt, &c. 

It appears to me to be related to another 
Anglo-Sax. word, viz. fold, the earth, the ground : 
whence fold-buende, the inhabitants. This word 
is also the Icelandic fold, terra. 

Ball 
IlaXXa, is found in Greek ; pila, in Latin ; 
bilk, in French ; as well as balle. 
Polit, pila ludit. (Festus). 

Racket. 

The Italians say lacchetta. 

Racket, from lacchetta, Fr. lacet, laqueus, a 
net : meaning " anything made of net-work, inter- 
laced, or reticulated." 

c 



10 

Agate. JeL 
Jet, in French, jais, formerly jayet. Menage 
derives it from gagates, and so does Thomson. 
Ainsworth, and Facciolati (ed. Baily), translate 
gagates by agate ; but this appears to be erro- 
neous, because Pliny distinguishes between achates 
(agate) and gagates (jet). The latter he de- 
scribes as follows (36, 19) : Gagates lapis niger est, 
pumicosus, non multum a ligno differens, levis, 
fragilis : odore, si teratur, gravis : cum uritur odo- 
rem sulphureum reddit. 

Ermine. 

From Armenia. The Ermine was the mus Pon- 
ticus of the ancients (see Menage). Ville Har- 
douin calls the Armenians Hermines, and he 
gives the same name to these little animals. In 
Spanish the Ermine is Arminio. 

Floss Silk. 
Span, seda flowa ; soft, untwisted silk. 

Knoll. 

From the Anglo-Sax. hnol (summit, head). — 
Used in the latter sense by Shakspeare — " an 
ass's noil" 

Many words that signify " mountain " also mean 



11 

the " head ;" as pen in Welsh, which is ben in 
the Highlands. 

Gust. 

A gust* of wind, from German geist (spiritus, 
ventus). Anglo-Sax. gast. 

Cock. 
From xoxxufa, cucurio. 

Ovxsti xoxxo^si, he no longer crows. — (Aris- 
tot. Animal, lib, 9.) 

K.a)xa\ov st^og ahsxTpucDVog. (Ilesych.) 

Husk. 

" The husks that the swine did eat." — Luke, 
15, 16. From Spanish casca,-f husks of grapes — 
rind or bark — any skin or integument. 

To the same root I would refer the Italian 
crusca (bran) ; Span, cascara, (husk, bran). 

Ogre. 
Generally derived from the nation of the Oi- 
gours, which is probably correct, since nothing 
could exceed the terror inspired by the Huns and 

* The same in Icelandic, 
t h for c, as hund, canis : haut, hut, cutis, &c. 



12 

other Asiatic barbarians, when they attacked Eu- 
rope, and helped to overthrow the Roman empire. 
The following resemblances may, however, be 
remarked : — 

Iceland, tigr, terror. 

Anglo-Sax. oga, dread, terror. 

Moeso-Goth. ogan, to fear. 

Porringer. 

From porridge ; so pottinger from pottage ; 
which words seem nearly the same. 

Starch. 

German, Stcirhnehl, from old German starch 
(strong, stiff), now stark. 

Launch. 

To launch a vessel is from the French lander, 
or elanper. But the boat called a launch is from 
the Spanish lanclia (long-boat), which is from the 
old German lanch (long), Scotch and German, lang. 

Lance. 
A lance, Latin lancea (which is said to be vox 
Hispanica* vel Gallica), comes probably from the 

* Varro. Diodorus. 



13 

same old Teutonic word lanch (long) ; compare 
Homer's epithet of §oXt%o(nciov applied to a spear. 
Indeed the Greek Xoy^Tj (not found in the Iliad or 
Odyssey, but used by Pindar) seems to be the 
same as lancli or lance, as was long ago observed 
by Festus. 

Thing. 

So very abstract a term as a thing must have 
caused some difficulty to our early ancestors to 
determine what they should call it. 

They made choice of a term derived from the 
verb " to think." 

Anything is amy think — whatever it is possible 
to think of. So in German, ein ding, comes from 
denken. 

This etymology is farther confirmed by the La- 
tin Res, a thing — derived from Reor, I think. 

Trice. 

To do a thing in a trice, or in a trice of time, 
means " as rapidly as possible." 

Johnson is not happy in his derivation of this 
word from the French trait. Nor do I find the 
true etym. in other authors. 

Time is divided by astronomers into minutes, 
seconds, and thirds, each of which is 60 times 



14 

less than the preceding. To do a thing in a se- 
cond, is a very common phrase. To do a thing 
in a trice, means to do it in a third, or the mi- 
nutest portion of time that can be expressed. 
From the old French une tierce. 

Henbane. 

The name would seem to imply that this plant 
is fatal to hens, like 

Wolfsbane, translated from lycoctonum. 
Leopardsbane, pardalianches (from ayysiv). 

But the old English name was henne-bone, 
as appears from the glossary in Reliq. Antiq. 
p. 37. 

Now bone meant a bean (as in German, bohne, 
a bean), and that this is correct appears from 
the Greek name for the same plant, viz. hyos- 
cyamus, uog xua[xog (xuoLfxo's, a bean). The French 
have shortened hyoscyamus into jusquiame. 

Southernwood. 

Artemisia Abrotanum, L. Southernwood. 

A very inappropriate name ; for, what has it to 
do with the south f And so far from affording a 
particular kind of wood, it is only a low shrub, 
or herb. 

Both these errors are corrected by the old 



15 

English name of Suthe-wurt,* or the Soothing- 
wort; for, this genus of plants is soporific, wit- 
ness the absinthiiim,| which takes its name from 
the Syriac, absintha (pater somni), cause or author 
of sleep. See Schleusner, Lex. Vet. Test. v. 
A^wQiou. And the meaning is the same in Ara- 
bic. 

Houseleek. 

This plant bears no resemblance to a leek. 
The Germans call it hauslaub, which is, literally, 
house-LEAF. 

Which therefore seems to have been its genu- 
ine English name. 

Mullein. 

A remarkably soft plant, covered with a kind of 
white cotton. 

French, molaine, moulaine, from mollis, soft ; 
whence the old English name of this plant 
was Softe (see Reliq. Antiq. p. 36). The other 
old English names, high taper, torches, appa- 
rently refer to the branching species (V. Lych- 
nitis). 

* Reliq. Antiq. p. 36. 
f Artemisia Absinthium, L. 



16 

Nave of a church. 
Generally derived from Navis, a ship, by a 
metaphor ; but I do not see much resemblance. 
Perhaps it is the Greek Nao$, a temple. 

Curd. 

To cur is an old word for to turn. 

German, hehren; Anglo-Sax. cerran, pret. cerde, 
cyrde (he turned) ; part, cyrred, gecerred, &c. A lit- 
tle turned, is a common phrase for " growing sour." 

Cur, to turn ; particip. curd, turned. 

Cheese. 

Latin, caseus ; Spanish queso. 

Perhaps from the verb to squeeze, since it is 
made by pressing the curd of milk. 

Virgil : — Castanea? molles, et pressi copia lactis. 

To squeeze is, in Anglo-Sax. cwysan (Plat, que- 
sen ; Frs. queaze, see Bosworth's Anglo-Sax. Diet.) 

to Aim. 

Johnson says, "it is derived by Skinner from 
Esmer, to point at ; a word which I have not 
found." 

It is found plain enough in Cotgrave's Dic- 
tionary, edition of 1611. 

Esmer, to ayme or levell at, to oifer to strike, 



17 

&c. ; also, to purpose, determine, intend : whence 
the noun substantive JEsme, an ayme, &c. &c. 

The word is also found in Menage, where it 
is said to come from the Latin testimare ; the 
following is there quoted from Ville-Har- 
douin : — 

Aesmerent (i. e. cestimdrunt) que ils avoient 
bien quatre cent Chevaliers. 

Mote. 

A mote in the eye. Spanish ; mota, a slight 
defect. 

to Frame. 

Anglo-Sax. fremman, to form; whence "per- 
fect " is ful-fremed. 

Callipers. 

Quasi clippers, from the Anglo-Sax. clyppan, to 
embrace. Johnson has suggested this etymology, 
which may be considered certain. 

Busy. 

From Anglo-Sax. biseg, or byseg, occupation; 
whence business is derived regularly [quasi byseg- 
nes]. In Norman French this word became bu- 
soignes (affairs), as " les busoignes du Roi," the 
King's aifairs ; whence the modern French besoin 

D 



18 

(need, necessity), and besogne (work) ; Italian, bi- 
sogno, necessity; bisogna, business, labour. 

to Whet. 
Anglo-Sax. ahwettan, to sharpen : acuere. 

Pennyroyal. 

Mentha Pulegium, L.* 

Puliol, puliall royall, &c. are the old names, 
derived from polium, a sweet-scented herb. So 
that the English name ought to be poly royal. 

Savory. 

A kitchen herb. From the Latin Satureia. 

Our ancestors generally endeavoured to make 
foreign names significant in their own language : 
thus they turned Satury into Savoury ; Asparagus 
into Sparrow Grass ; Girasole into Jerusalem (Ar- 
tichoke) ; Poly Royal into Penny Royal ; Gum 
Tragacanth into Gum Dragon. 

Gilliflower. f 
Commonly, but incorrectly, supposed to mean 



* Pulegium, from pulex, a flea. Other names were pule- 
cium, pulejum, puleium. [Pliny, Mart. Cic.] 

t Cheiranthus. [Linn.~\ 



19 

July-flower, for that month is by no means the 
time of its perfection. 

Gilliflower is a corruption of giroflie, in French. 

Its scent has been compared to the Clove, an 
East Indian spice, and thence it took its name. 
The Carnation (Dianthus Caryopliyllus, L.) was so 
called for the same reason, and has given its 
name to the whole tribe of Caryopliyllece, although 
the greater part of them are quite destitute of 
any such fragrance. 

But to return to the Gilliflower; — it is called 
in Italian, viola garofanata, or garofano ; French, 
giroflee. And the spice clove of India is called 
xcLpuofyuXXou, caryophyllum, giroflier, garofano. 

Spice. 

French, epice ; Italian, spezie ; Spanish, espe- 
cia. 

The Italian and Spanish confuse the word 
with the Latin species, which has no connexion 
with it. 

Spice is related to the verb piquer. Compare 
pungency, poignancy. So, German spezerey (spicery) 
is related to spitz, something sharp. 

Cloves. 
Cloves, in old spelling, cloues ; French, cloux de 



20 

girofle, from clou, clavus, a nail or spike. Simi- 
larly in Spanish, a clove is called claw. 

But why should this Indian spice be called 
clavus f Clavus is a spike, something sharp (see the 
last article) ; but I would not hastily draw the in- 
ference that this analogy was intended. 

The Greek name xapuo^tAXov, literally Nut-leaf, 
seems obscure and very inappropriate. I should 
not be surprised if $uAAov was a corruption of 
some old Italian or Spanish diminutive ending in 
villo, possibly clavillo. 

Compare also the words Spica nardi, Spike- 
nard (Veget.) ; Spica allii, a clove of garlic (used 
both by Cato, and Columella). 

Strawberry. 
So called because the berries lie strawn or 
strewn upon the ground, contrary to what is the 
case with most other kinds of fruit. For the 
same reason the Germans call them erd-beeren 
(i. e. earth-berries). 

Mulberry. 

For Murberry, from Morus. 

It is to be observed, that the y.opov of the 
Greeks — murum of the Latins — was our black- 
berry. 



21 

Lady-bird. 

A small scarlet insect. Coccinella. 

Also called lady-cow, a name which appears 
destitute of meaning : and I should have sup- 
posed that cow was a mere corruption of coccus 
(i. e. scarlet insect), if it were not that the 
Spanish name is vaquilla, which has reference to 

vacca, a cow. 

Cassock. 

Spanish, casaca, a coat. 

Turncoat 

This phrase is taken from the Spanish, volver 
casaca, to forsake one's party. 

Tall 

French, belle taille. Spanish, rico talk (fine 

stature). 

List. 

Properly means a narrow riband ; which is the 
shape that a long list, or catalogue of names, na- 
turally assumes. When rolled up like a riband, 
it becomes a roll or list-roll. 

Spanish ; liston, riband. 

" All these ' muster-rolls ' (of the army of 
Henry V. &c.) are literally rolls of vellum or 
parchment, composed of membranes attached end 



22 

to end, narrow in the breadth, but of several feet 
or yards in length." — Palgrave, Kal! of the Ex- 
cheq. I. lxxii. 

Shoal. 
Related to shallow. 

Also related to French escueil, ecueil. And Isi- 
dore has — 

" Scyllce : saxa latentia in mari." 

Also, to the Italian scoglio, a rock. 

Shoals of fishes, so called because when seen 
from a distance they discolour the water, like 
submarine shoals. L eland says : " The fisch ap- 
pere in May in mightti sculles, so that sumtime 
they breke large nettes." 

to Quail. 

From the habits of that bird. 
"And thu schalt mak him cowche as doth a 
quaile." — Reliq. Antiq. p. 69. 

Luscious. 

From lycyus or licious, old English for deli- 
cious. 

" Good drynk therto, lycyus and fyne." — Reliq. 
Antiq. p. 30. 



23 

to Stain. 
Shortened from " distain." 

Teint, coloured. Dis-teint, 'steint, having the 
colour spoiled. Stained. 

to Drill a hole. 

Old English to thrill. 

" Thrille the pot-bottom." — Reliq. Antiq. p. 55. 

Thrilling. 

Hence we say, a thrilling sound, a thrilling 
sensation : as it were, piercing through one. 

Nostrils. 

A curious etym. from the same root. 
Anciently written neyse thrilles, i. e. nose holes. 

Board. 

German, bret ; Old English, brede. 
" Naylyd on a brede of tre." 
Seems related to broad, breadth, &c. 

Coarse. 

As no etym. has been found for this word, I 
would suggest that it is nothing else than ano- 
ther form of the word gross. German, gross 
(large). 



24 

Gross, coarse (per metathesin) : like broad, 
board (vide the last article), and form, frame. 

Harness. 
Formerly meant armour of steel or iron. 
In the Breton or Armoric language, we find 
houarn, iron. 

Houarnezet* harnessed, or clad in iron. 
From whence it is evident, that in our word 
harness, and the French harnois, the first syllable 
ham is to be interpreted iron. It is, in fact, the 
word iron, or rather torn, diiferently pronounced. 
The same word is thus spelt in other languages, 
viz. 

Swed. and Dan. ... iern, jern. 

Iceland iarn, jarn,f earn. 

Welsh haiarn. 

Cornish hoarn. 

Irish iaran. 

English iron. 

Spanish hierro. 



* Villemarque Chants populaires de la Bretagne, tome 1, 
p. 142. 

t " Jarnith er heitt," the iron is hot. — (See Meidinger, 
p. 539.) 



25 

Easy. 

From the Anglo-Saxon eadig, the pronunciation 
having been gradually altered to eathy and easy. 

Anglo-Sax. eathelice (easily, facile). 

Old English, " eadie londe " (blessed land) — 
Reliq. Antiq. p. 66. 

Marquis. 

The usual derivation is from Mark-graf (Mar- 
grave, literally Count of the marches, or fron- 
tiers). This must originally have been a title of 
great honour, and confined to few, since no coun- 
try can have many frontiers, with Mark-grafs to 
defend them. But I would suggest that this can 
hardly have been the origin of the innumerable 
tribe of French Marquises, a title considered low 
in the scale of their nobility, inferior, I believe, 
to both Count and Viscount. This, however, is 
easily explained, if the following etymology is 
admitted : — 

In Bretagne, any gentleman may be called a 
Marchek, i. e. cavalier, chevalier, from march (che- 
val). And since a French gentleman was often 
called Chevalier (un tel), I think that Marquis 
was nothing more at first than the word equi- 
valent to " Chevalier " among the gentry of Bre- 
tagne. 

E 



26 

Yule. 

Yule, the ancient name of Christmas. 

A whole chapter might be written about this 
interesting word; at present I will only remark 
upon the similarity which exists between it and 
the Celtic word denoting the Sun, which is, in 
W elsh, Haul ; and in Breton, Heol ; much re- 
sembling the Anglo-Sax. name for Christmas, geol 
or iule ; Dan. and Swed. jul ; Icelandic, iol 9 
or jol ; English, yule. So that Yule may mean 
the festival of the Sun. It was the feast at the 
time of the winter solstice, a period of great 
rejoicing, when the Sun having reached his low- 
est point of winter depression, begins to return 
towards the nations of the north. Considered in 
another point of view, it was the end of one 
year and the beginning of the next — the death 
of the old Sun and the birth of the new; for a 
year was frequently, by the ancients, called a 
Sun. 

" Bruma novi prima est veterisque novissima 
Sous." — Ovid. 

to Crouch. 

Altered from to couch. 

" And thu schalt mak him cowche as doth a 
quaile." — Reliq. Antiq, p. 69. 



27 

Shabby. 
Shortened from deshabille ; or, en deshabille, 
carelessly or very ill drest. 

to Sneeze. 

Germ, niesen. 

From old English neyse, the nose. 

Treachery. 

It seems to be admitted that this is the old 
French tricherie (trickery, deception), Germ. 
trugerei: derived from trick, Germ, true/, Hol- 
land, trek. This is a very ancient root, for we 
find it in the Greek TpcoxTTjg, a juggler or de- 
ceiver: and also in two very curious words, 
oLTftexrjg and vrirpsxyg, veracious (literally, without 
trick). I am not aware that their true etymo- 
logy has been previously given, 

But to return ; since the words traitor, treason, 
are derived from Latin traditor and traditio 
(in Fr. traliison), it seems that notwithstanding 
the resemblance of these words to " treachery" 
they are derived from a different root. To which 
of these roots shall we refer the verb 'Ho betray f 
or shall we admit that the two have coalesced 
together in modern languages, in consequence of 
their similarity both of sound and meaning ? 



28 

Vaunt 
To vaunt oneself. Se mnter. From old Fr. 

s'avauncer, to put oneself forward. 

" Ke tant se avaunce qe nul ne li loe." 

Who vaunts himself so much that no man 

praises him. 

Dawn. 

" Day daweth." 

" The day, wenne hit dawe." — Reliq. Antiq. pp. 
7 and 244. 

The dawn, or dawen, of the day ; in German, 
das tagen ; from tag, a day. 

Worth. 

" Woe worth the chase — woe worth the day 
That costs thy life, my gallant grey !" 

W. Scott. 

In this phrase, " woe worth the day " seems 
only to mean, " full of woe is the day." For 
worth, in old English, answers to wird in German 
(will be ; from werden, to be, or become) ; as in 
the following examples : — 

" Him worth blame ;" i. e. blame will be to him. 

" He worth her ;" — he will be heir. 



29 

Kith and kin. 

" Ne cuth mon, ne cunnes mon." — Reliq. Antiq. 
p. 4 : i. e. neither kinsman, nor kith-man, or 
acquaintance. 

From cuth ; known, acquainted. 

to Greet 

From Anglo-Sax. grith, peace. 

" Peace ! " was the usual salutation on meet- 
ing a stranger, and the same is the meaning of 
" salam ! " in the East. The custom affords a 
lively illustration of the state of the world in pri- 
mitive times, when all men went armed, and 
when every stranger * was looked upon with sus- 
picion. Not to return the salutation of "peace!'" 
was at once to avow yourself an enemy ; on the 
other hand, to say "peace!" when you did not 
mean it, was, no doubt, thought an act of the 
greatest treachery. 

Old English, " I grette with grith ; " i. e. I 
greet with peace. The Germans say grilssen. 

Curl. 
From old English, qworle, to twist. 



The Latin hostis signified both a stranger and an enemy 



30 

Wed. 

A Wed, in old English, meant a solemn pledge 
of any kind. Thus we find several nobles and 
warriors called " weddyd brethryn," because they 
were bound together by an oath of friendship. — 
Reliq. Antiq. p. 85. 

A wedding properly means, therefore, a solemn 
pledging of troth and faith, accompanied by the 
giving of a visible sign or token, namely, a ring, 
which has always continued to be the chosen 
emblem. 

Geer. 

A phrase used by mechanics : to put a wheel 
in geer, and out of geer ; i. e. to connect it with 
the machine or disconnect it ; to set it a-going 
or reduce it to rest. 

One might be inclined at first to derive this 
word from gyrare, and the Italian giro. 

But it appears to be a metaphor borrowed 
from another class of objects in motion. Geer is 
harness, especially that of a coarser kind. To 
put the horse in gear, is to put the cart in mo- 
tion ; to take off his gears, is to bring the cart 
to rest ; whence it is very easy to see how the 
phrase came into use. 



31 

Alarm. 
Johnson says, " from the French "a Varme ! " 
Not a bad etymology ; but I would object that 
the French say " aux amies ! " " to arms ! " and 
that to say " a Varme ! " in the singular, is en- 
tirely contrary to their idiom. 

I therefore conclude that alarm is derived from 
alarum, which see in the next article. 

Alarum. 

An alarum bell ; a larum bell. 

This well-known word has greatly baffled the 
etymologists. In German it is larm (any loud, 
sudden noise or disturbance). Adelung gives up 
this word, and says he thinks it is a mere imi- 
tation of the sound itself (an onomatopoeia). 

I wonder that no one has seen that it comes 
from the old Norman French word larum, a rob- 
ber. For instance, 

Quite de larum pendu sanz sergant. 

" Penalty for hanging a thief without an officer 
of the law being present." 

Larum pris ens nostre tere. 

" Thief caught within our land." 

Larum repele par franchise. — Reliq. Antiq. 
p. 33. 

In modern French the word is larron — a simi- 



32 

lar change is seen in " hairum," old French for 
heron. 

In the days of the Normans no douht there 
was great necessity for an alarum bell ; perhaps 
every village had one. And just as the modern 
French cry " au voleur ! au voleur ! au voleur ! " 
we may suppose the Normans shouted in the 
tongue of their day " a larum ! a larum ! a larum !" 

Black Art. 

Magic was called the black art, from a mis- 
taken interpretation of the Italian negromanzia, 
which was supposed to be derived from negro, 
black. But it is evidently the Greek vsxpojaav- 
T£/a, a conjuring up by magic the shades of the 
dead, and causing them to foretell the future. 

Havock. 

Havock ; destruction. 

Milton uses the verb " to havock" and so does 
Spenser. 

This is important to observe, since we now 
say, to cause havoc, to make havoc, &c. which is 
probably an erroneous phrase, and at any rate 
disguises the etymology. 

I derive havoc from the Anglo-Sax. hafoc (a 
hawk). The destruction occasioned by that bird 



33 

was, by a bold and just metaphor, transferred to 
other kinds of calamity and ruin. 

to Compass. 

Compass means properly a circle, whence to 
encompass is to encircle. 

But perhaps the phrase, " to compass an ob- 
ject ;" " to compass a wish ;" &c. has a different 
origin. 

At any rate, the expression " to compass 
a wish " has a singular resemblance to the 
Latin, compos voti. 

Purblind. 

I. — In old books we sometimes find poreblind. 
Compare waopos (blind), and the phrase " to pore 
over a thing." 

II. — From Germ, verblendet. This is more pro- 
bable. 

Gulf. 

Ital. and Span, golfo, from xoA7ro£, a bay ; used 
in that sense by Homer and others. 

KoXTrotr is properly a bosom. But the same me- 
taphor is found in Latin ; sinus, a bay and a 
bosom ; and in German, meerbusen. 

But although the gentle curve of a bay might 
be properly enough called a sinus, or bosom, it 

F 



34 

is not very evident why a profound abyss should 
be called by the same name. 

" Between us and you is a great Gulf fixed." — 
(Luke xvi.) : i. e. a chasm, impassable, of bound- 
less depth. 

Some have supposed that vestiges of this mean- 
ing are seen in Homer ; for instance — 

ufjLEig fj.ev vvv burs $cCha(T(rris eupsa xo7^7rov, 

to the ocean nymphs. — (II. <r. 140.) 
But the epithet supsa, xo'kirov (not jSaflsa) shews 
that xo"kwog is here only ocean's surface which 
receives the nymphs : or, at any rate, the swell- 
ing bosom of a wave. In confirmation of which, 
consider the simile of the sea-gull (Od. e. 51) — 

asuar S7TSIT ski xufxoL T^apcp opviQi eoixcog 
b<rrs xoltcl bzivoug xo7^7roug oihog arpvysroio 
i)(6og aypcocrcrcou 7ruxiuoc 7rrspoL dsusrai aXjayj* 

for, the bird could not dive far beneath the 
surface, if he did so at all ; and therefore the 
Ssivoi xoX7roi are only the rising and falling 
waves. 

Let us, therefore, next inquire, what class of 
words are used in other languages to denote an 
Abyss. 

We shall find that they almost universally em- 
ploy the metaphor of a throat, an open mouth: — 



35 

gurges, vorago, hiatus, your^a. : — from vorare, in- 
gurgitare, hiare, yauvzw. 

So the Germ, schlund means (1) throat, (2) 
abyss. 

The French say, " englouti dans la mer...dans 
Fabime," from glutire, to swallow : and - we say 
engidphed, for " swallowed up and lost." 

For these reasons, I think it probable that gulf, 
in the sense of " abyss," is related to gula, and 
the verb to gulp down, or swallow. Consequently, 
that it is quite a different word from gulf in 
the sense of " sinus " or xoX7rog, a bay of the 
sea. 

Perspective. 

A perspective, i. e. a telescope, is properly 
enough named from perspicere, to look through. 

But the science of Perspective is not correctly 
named ; it ought to be Prospective, being the 
art of delineating a prospect or view. And so it 
is called in Italian, la " Prospettiva, " which 
shews the error we have fallen into. 

Trunk of an Elephant. 
In French, la trompe. 
No doubt, in English also the expression was 



36 

formerly the trump of an elephant, which has been 
since carelessly corrupted into trunk. 

Pliny says, the elephant can make a noise like 
a trumpet (lib. xi. cap. 51) — " Elephas per nares 
tubarum raucitati similem elidit sonum." 

Arsenal. 

From arthenal or artenalh, a citadel, in the 
Romance language. — See Raynouard's Diet, of that 
language. 

Artillery seems a related word. 

Hostler. 

Generally derived from Hostel, or Hotel. 

But that ought to signify the master of the 
hotel, not one of the inferior servants. 

Perhaps, as Thomson observes, it comes from 
the Swedish hast, a horse (q. d. one who takes 
care of the horses). 

to March. 

French, marcher. From the Celtic and Gallic 
march, a horse. This is the word in use at the 
present day in Bretagne, and it is very old, since 
the ancient Celts fought according to the system 
called Tf>i[Aaf>xuna. 



37 

Pausanias calls them indifferently KsAto* and 
TahoLTcu in the same passage (Phocica, cap. 19) : 

S7ri%a)pia) <pcovr}, koli \ttttwv to ovofxa, ktto) rig Map- 
xav oura u7ro rcov KsXrcov. 

TpipoLpxio-ioL. The iol is probably a Greek ter- 
mination ; the pure Celtic word will be fxapxig. 
I would translate this, not simply a horse, but a 
horseman, because Marchek now means a cava- 
lier in Breton. The rpi^apxia-ia. will thus mean 
the system of three cavaliers aiding each other 
in battle. They were a knight and two squires 
his attendants (to use more modern appellations). 
— See Pausanias in loco. 

Brennus, when he attacked Greece, had no less 
than 61,200 cavalry. — (Paus.) 

Some say that the name of the ancient Marco- 
manni signifies " horsemen." 

Marshal. 
An old Gallic word, meaning Master of the 
Horse, or Commander of the Cavalry, from 
March, a horse. 

Dwarf. 

Anglo-Sax. dweorh, dweorg, dwerg. Germ, 
zwerg. 



38 

This word did not originally convey the idea of 
smattness, but that of crookedness. It is closely 
related to the Anglo-Sax. thweorh, thweorg 
(crooked), which also means pravus, perversus ; 
and it is well known that popular prejudice attri- 
buted to dwarfs a perverse and malignant dispo- 
sition. 

From the same root comes athwart, viz. across, 
oblique, crooked: and, to thwart a person's pro- 
jects or wishes (a metaphor, from placing some 
obstacle in his path). To meet with crosses 
(hinderances, disappointments) conveys the same 
idea. So in French, " traverser les dessins de 
quelqu'un," from travers, across. 

Addled. 
An addled egg. Anglo-Sax. adlig, diseased, 
from adl, morbus. 

Ailing, Ailment. 

From the same Anglo-Sax. root as the last. 

To ail is adlian pronounced ailian ; for the 
letter D, when followed by L, is often suppres- 
sed ; as puddle, pool ; saddle, selle. 

Heavy. 
Anglo-Sax. hefig ; probably related to lief, or 



39 

heap (acervus, moles). An old glossary has : — hefe, 
mole. 

Also related to the verb " to heave up." 

Imp. 

Imps are young shoots, grafts ; hence young 
or small things of any kind. 

Anglo-Sax. i?npan, to engraft. An old glossary 
has — 

" Novelise, ymps ; quae crescunt d^ radicibus 
arborum, vel arboribus inseruntur." — Reliq. Antiq. 
p. 8. 

Also, Imps are little devils : abbreviated from 
" imps of Satan." 

Prowess. 

French, prouesse, from prouve, eprouve, tried. 
Un preux chevalier ; probus, probatus ; an ap- 
proved knight, or of prowess. 

Old glossary has — probitas, prowes. 

The Italian word for prowess, prodezza, has a 
singular insertion of the letter D. 

Windlass. 

Formerly wyndas, from the verb " to wind." 
French, guindeau, where GU takes the place of W, 
as in Guillaume, William, and many other words. 



40 

Hence comes the adj. guinde (hoisted up, bom- 
bastic). 

Antelope. 

Johnson says, " the etymology is uncertain." 
Thomson derives it from avrsAa<po£. 

But I do not find that word used in any au- 
thor. 

Perhaps the original Antelope was the chamois, 
or else the bouquetin, which are so exceedingly 
shy, that they live amongst the most inaccessible 
precipices, and always fly from the approach of 
man. 

I think that antelopan signified, in one of the 
old German dialects, to run away (modern Ger- 
man, entlaufen), because we have from the same 
verbal root laufen, the words interloper, land- 
loper, and elopement. 

Anthem. 

Generally derived from antiphona. 

But the change of phon into hem is rather con- 
siderable. 

In French it is antienne. Is it not rather anti- 
hymnus f Hymnus is inno in Italian, so that 
we obtain a very natural derivation — anti-hymnus, 
anti-inno, antienne. 



41 

Or thus : olv$v(auos, anthymnus, anthym. 
Responsive hymns. 

Ransom. 

In old French, vaunceon, evidently shortened 
from re-emption, for which we generally say re- 
demption, inserting the letter D for the sake 
of euphony : ex, gr. " Raunceoun de xx marcs." 
A.D. 1414.* 

to Gloze. 

An old word for "to flatter." 
From yAaxnra, the tongue. Metaphor : to fawn 
and lick the hand as a dog. 

Anglo-Sax. glesan has two meanings — 

(1) in grammar : to gloss, or explain difficult 
words by easier ones. yAaxro-T^a. 

(2) to flatter. 

And as the first of these meanings is cer- 
tainly from yhwcra-a, it is probable the second 
is. 

Glosyng, flaterynge : (old interpretation in 
Reliq. Antiq.). 



* Proceedings of the Privy Council, vol. II. p. 139. 
G 



42 

Quibble. 

Perhaps from the Danish tvivl, a doubt, which 
is related to the German zweifel. 

A quibble is a doubt or difficulty raised mala 
fide, or with the intention of creating perplexity. 

to Blast. 
From old French, flaistrir, now fietrir. 

Halo. 

Luminous circle, sometimes seen around the 
sun or moon. 

Similar circles of light, or glories, were usually 
depicted around the heads of the saints. In 
French, aureole has both meanings. 

Haluwe is a saint in old English, whence come 
the verb " to hallow" and a " halo" 

All from the Anglo-Sax. halig, holy. 

Gloss. 
Superficial lustre (Johnson). 

" Golden opinions from all sorts of people, 
Which should be worn now in their newest gloss." 

Shakspeare. 

" His hair hung long, and glossy raven black." 

Dry den. 

" In this sense," says Johnson, " it seems to 



43 

have another derivation [than the word gloss, a 
comment, scholium, or explanation] ; it has, per- 
haps, some affinity to glow."* 

Nevertheless, they have been sometimes taken 
for the same word, by various writers, and thence 
a mixed usage and intermediate meaning has 
sprung up. 

" You are a sectary : 
That's the plain truth — your painted gloss discovers, 
To men that understand you, words and weakness." 

ShaJcspeare. 

" Now to plain dealing, lay these glozes by." 

Shakspeare. 

" A fairer gloss than the naked truth doth afford." 

Hooker. 

" The common gloss 
Of theologians." 

Milton. 

As Johnson justly observes, "this sense seems to 
partake of both the former" It is an instructive 
example of a word which has two distinct origins, 
which have coalesced together in course of time, 
because they represented ideas capable of union. 



* Bacon calls bits of polished steel, steel glosses : — " Steel 
glosses are more resplendent than plates of brass." Gloss 
seems nearly related to glass. A polished speculum might be 
called a glass, although made of metal. 



44 

There are many such in modern languages, 
and they are a most useful and valuable class 
of words. No wonder, since they contain in 
themselves, and express with a nervous brevity, 
the essence of more than one primitive idea. 

Another example shall be given in the next 
article. 

Hardy. 
From the French, hardi, audacious, bold, cou- 
rageous. Hardi is derived from heart,* exactly 
as courage is derived from cosur and cor. Hence 
the verb enhardir ; like encourager. Je me suis 
enhardi de... I took heart; I was so bold as... 
The English word hard (durus) is of totally 
different origin from the above. Yet, neverthe- 
less, it has coalesced with it to form the modern 
adjective " hardy? When we speak of " a hardy 
weather-beaten sailor ;" or when we say, " Take 
exercise in all weathers, for it will make you 
hardy" we use that word in the sense of " hard- 
ened" strengthened, made robust and firm : en- 
durci, in French ; " endurci aux intemperies de 
Fair." 

On the contrary, when we say of an impudent 



* Heart is a very ancient word, being the Greek xxfiicc. 
Cardia, hardia, hard ; whence adj. hardi. 



45 

person, " he had the hardihood to affirm," &c. &c. 
we use the French term hardi (bold, audacious). 
It is evident, then, that the word " hardy? as 
we now employ it, has two distinct origins, from 
" heart " and from " hard." 

to Pick up. 

Thomson derives it from the same root as 
finger. I think incorrectly ; nor would I assi- 
milate it to the verb " to fetch" 

Perhaps the following view may be taken : — 

To pick up, or peck up, was at first said of 
birds, and is derived from the Fr. bee, a beak ; 
in Spanish, pico ; Ital. becco. 

This is a very ancient word, as appears from 
the Latin, pirns ; Span, pico ; a woodpecker. 

To pick, denotes to take things one by one, 
or a little at a time — here and there — making a 
selection as it were. It is a natural metaphor 
from the manner in which birds pick up their 
food. The opposite idea to it consists in swal- 
lowing great quantities at once, taking things in 
large masses, or indiscriminately. 

Beak. 

The beak of a bird is so named from being 
sharp and pointed. This is manifest on consider- 



46 

ing the meanings of the Spanish word pico. It 
means (1) a beak, (2) a peak, the sharp summit 
of a mountain. And pica means a pike or 
lance. 

Those etymologists are wrong, therefore, who 
refer the word " beak" to the same root with 
the Ital. bocca, Fr. bouche, Lat. bucca (the 
cheek) ; which seems to contain the very opposite 
idea, that of swelling roundness, " inflatse bucca?." 

Pickaxe. 

There seems little propriety in calling this in- 
strument an Awe ; and therefore I would prefer 
to derive it either from the French pioche (a 
pickaxe), or more probably from the Spanish 
picazo, a blow given with a pick or pike. 

to Prick. 

In French, piquer ; Sp. picar ; It. piccare. 
Evidently, therefore, the R is intrusive. 

A similar instance of the intrusive R is , seen 
in the verb "to speak" Germ, sprechen. And it 
is not uncommon. 

to Filch. 
<£>7jXoa>, to cheat ; ^tjAtjtt^, a thief ; (py'hos, cheat- 
ing. French, filou, a pilferer, a pickpocket. 



47 

Stirrup. 

Derived from $tep. Anything whereon the foot 
is placed in order to mount higher, is a step. 

The Italian for stirrup is staffa, which is re- 
lated to northern words signifying a step.* The 
old French is estaphe. In middle Latin, stapia 
(see an old inscription quoted by Vossius, in 
Menage, vol. I. p. 554). 

In Spanish, a stirrup is estribo ; and strepa in 
the Latin of the 13th century ;f related to Germ. 
treppe (a step). Our word stirrup comes pretty 
near to these last. 

Phantom. 

From the Greek $avrao-jU,a, an apparition. 

But although this is undeniable, yet there is 
another class of words which appear to have some 
connexion with it, namely, the Italian paventar, 
to fear ; spavento (in Spanish, espanto), a great 
fright ; words not unlike phanto or phantom. 

They come, however, from a different root, viz. 
pavor, paura, peur. 

No good etym. has been given for the German 



* The Island of Staffa is named from thence. Trap rocks 
are so called from Germ, treppen, stairs or steps. 

t Geraud. Paris sous Philippe le Bel, p. 588. 



48 

gespenst, a spectre. Perhaps it is related to the 
Spanish espanto. 

Alley. 

From the Fr. allee. But it is also nearly re- 
lated to the Spanish mile, a street ; calleja, a lane ; 
which makes me think that the Latin callis may 
have the same root with the verb aller ; especially 
since, in old French, galler was used for aller, 
according to Thomson. 

Gallery. 

This word is found in most modern languages. 
It is nearly related, as I think, to Sp. calleja, a 
narrow passage [quasi calleria]. 

Lavender. 

So called because often used by laundresses 
to perfume drawers and linen. 

From the Spanish lava?idera, a laundress. 

Vanilla. 

Is the pod or seed-vessel of a South American 
plant, of the orchideous tribe, Vanilla aroma- 
tica. 

The word comes from the Spanish vaynilla, a 
little pod, dimin. of vayna, a capsule or pod of 



49 

leguminosse. Vayna (in French, gaine) means 
a case or sheath of any kind, and comes from 
the Latin vagina, sheath or scabbard. Vagina 
is used by Varro, in speaking of vegetables. 

Arrow-root 
So called because produced by a certain spe- 
cies of Arum. But what is the etymology of 
Arum f The Greek name is Apov ; the Anglo- 
Saxon, Arod ; a name which I interpret the 
"arrow" For this plant is remarkable for its 
sagittate or arrow-shaped leaves. 

to Rumple, or Crumple. 

A Wrinkle is, in Germ, runzel ; Lat. ruga. 

Old German, ga-rumfan (rugosus) and rumfunga 
(ruga). Very numerous other words belong to 
this root. 

to Patter. 

"Pattering hail" (Dryden)— " shower " (Thom- 
son). 

Johnson says, it comes from the French, patte, 
the foot. But I cannot admit this. It is plainly 
related to the verbs to spatter and bespatter. 

Villain. 
The bad sense of this word has its origin in 

H 



50 

the Latin, vilis (vile, worthless) ; the good sense 

of it, in the Latin villa (a country house), whence 

villanus, a farm servant, in middle Latin. 

I am surprised that this distinction has not 

been drawn. 

Adder. 

From Anglo-Sax. ater, venom. 

Or possibly from the Germ, natter (a snake) ; 
Lat. natrix ; Anglo-Sax. ncedre. In this case we 
suppose a nadder to have been altered into an 
adder. It is difficult to say which etym. ought to 
be preferred, unless indeed, as is most likely, they 
have the same original. 

Anachronism. 

Anachronism means a thing contrary to true 
chronology. Grammarians derive it from the pre- 
position am and %povog Time, attributing to am 
a certain signification of " error" which it bears 
in no other word. At least, I do not find any 
other instance of aua with such a meaning. Am 
frequently means (1) up, upwards, sursum ; (2) 
once more, iterum. But I think it never means 
contra, adversus. In the instance given in Mat- 
thias's Grammar, p. 888, ava tov worafjiov is im- 
properly translated " against the current." It 
should be " up the river." This, indeed, would 



51 

be against the stream, not because ava signifies 
" against" but because it signifies " up" and the 
stream flows down. 

Ava frequently means according to ; consonant 
or agreeable to ; just the reverse of the supposed 
meaning of contra, adversus. This may be well 
seen in the word analogous, which means similar, 
concordant ; not dissimilar, discordant, as it must 
do if ava meant contra. 

Since, then, "contrary" is not the meaning of ava, 

but is exactly the meaning of the old preposition 

olvtol, I have no doubt that the original term was 

Antachronism.* 

to Weigh. 

This name seems originally derived from the 
vacillating motion of the balance when the 
weights are nearly equal. 



* In another work (Hermes, p. 135) I have endeavoured to 
shew that there was an ancient word, Anta-polus, signifying 
the point most opposite to the zenith, or the lowest depth of 
the universe, and that this has been corrupted into Ana-polus, 
and AvaTrotvAa;, the name of a fabulous region in Tartarus. Avra 
(against, contrary to, opposed to), is an old preposition, quite 
different from Avn (in the place of, instead), although gram- 
marians have confounded them. But the remarks I then made 
were deficient, inasmuch as no example was given of avra 
having been corrupted into ava. Having since found an ex- 
ample, and an important one, I have here adduced it. 



52 

Swedish, wag, a balance. 

Vacillari, to incline first on one side and then 
on the other. 

to Waver. 

A wavering purpose, is one which inclines by 
turns in opposite directions. 

To waver is to fluctuate, to be restless, un- 
settled. It conies from wave (fluctus). 

Wave. 

A Wave, Fr. Vague, is so called from its alter- 
nate rising and falling; whence come the terms 
undulatory motion, and fluctuation. 

Vague (a wave) is related to the Lat. vagus, 
importing restless, constant motion. To wagge, 
was said in old English of the rolling and tossing 
of a ship at sea. Wag is a wave in Swedish. 

Gaff. 

A nautical term. From the Spanish, vela de 

gavia. 

to Scorch. 

From the old French, scorcher (ecorcher), scor- 

ticare ; i. e. to take off the skin ; for the skin 

comes away from a burn. 

Cork. 
Old French, corche, cortex, the bark of a 



53 

tree ; whence es-corcher is ew-corticare, or scorti- 
care. 

" Corticem astrictmn pice dimovebit " (Hor.) — 
will remove the sealed cork. 

Since Cork is the produce of a species of 
Quercus, or ever-green oak, I am inclined to de- 
rive the Latin quercus from an old word mean- 
ing skin or bark, such as querc or corch ; related, 
perhaps, to corium, cuir (skin, leather). 

Pint 

Pint and pound were originally the same word, 
but, for the sake of convenience, usage has intro- 
duced a distinction. The pint no longer contains 
an exact pound of water, but a pound and a 
quarter. 

Wine was anciently measured by the pound 
in Germany (Thomson). And the Romans sold 
liquids by the libra, or pound. 

Denas olei libras. — Sueton. 

Negropont. 

The modern name of Euboea. Corrupted 
from Euripus, the ancient name of the narrow 
channel separating the island from the main- 
land. Euripus, in the modern Greek pronun- 
ciation, Evripo, thence Nevripo, the N being 



54 

added* as in Icaria, now Nicaria ; (see Cluver. 
Geogr. p. 206). Finally, from Nevripo, Negro- 
pont. 

Milan. 

This city has a most expressive name, 
Mi-Lano, " middle of the plain." For it is 
situated in the middle of the plain of Lom- 
bardy, the finest in Europe. The Latin is Medio- 
lanum, but I believe this is a mere translation 
of the local or enchorial name, and that the in- 
habitants, at least the peasantry, always said 
Milano. 

Llano in Spanish signifies a plain. The im- 
mense levels of South America are called the 
Llanos. Llano comes from a provincial Latin 
word planum, a plain ; like Llaga (a wound) from 
plaga ; and Llama, flamma ; Lleno, plenus ; Llorar, 
plorare; Lluvia, pluvia. 

Milan is in German Mailand. In fact, Land 
appears to be the same word with Lano or Lan, 
a superfluous D being added, as in Man, Danish 
Mand. 

A Land seems to be properly a flatf open 



* It is a relic of the article rev or rw ; s? rov, or i$ rw ; 
as in Cos, Stan-co. 
t Another proof that a land signifies a flat, or a plain, is 



55 

country. The Landes in the south of France, 
near Bayonne, are sandy wastes. 

An open space is called by Shakspeare a laund. 
In modern English we have dropped the D again, 
and say a lawn. 

Godfather. Godmother. 

Godfather, from God and father (Johnson). 

Few persons would deem it necessary to in- 
quire any farther. Yet, if they do, they will find, 
I think, that these words have been intentionally 
altered, with a pious motive, from what they 
originally were, namely, Con-father and Corn- 
mother. For the French, Italian, Spanish, and 
middle Latin all agree in denoting by these 
terms the sponsors at the baptismal font. 

French compere, commere. 

Ital. and Span... compadre, comadre. 
Lat compater, commater. 

Now since Confather seemed a word without 
meaning to the English ear, it was either sup- 
posed to be an error for Godfather, or else that 
change was intentionally made. 



that that part of a staircase which is called in Spanish the 
llano, we call the landing, or landing-place. 



56 

In Tytler's Edward VI. (vol. II. p. 88), under 
date of October, 1551, we are told "that the 
king of England accepted most thankfully his 
good brother (the king of France's) request in 
choosing him his Christian compere" (i. e. God- 
father to his infant son). 

Auger, 

A carpenter's tool to bore holes with. 

I. An auger may have been said for a nauger 
from the Anglo-Sax. nafe-gar, which had the 
same meaning. 

II. From Germ, auge, an eye. Holes are fre- 
quently called " eyes ; " ex. gr. hooks and eyes, 
eye of a needle, eylet holes. Hence indeed the 
Greeks called a hole 07rr h evidently related to 
the verb " to see," 07ra)7ra, &c. 

Mammoth. 

The original of this word is, perhaps, to be 
sought in the Behemoth of the Hebrew Scriptures. 
" Behold now Behemoth which I made." 

Job, c. 40. 
Behemoth, by contraction Bammoth, and thence 
Mammoth. This change of B into M is frequent ; 
ex. gr. Bombay, native name Mumbd, or Mambei. 
(Asiatic Researches, I. 359.) 



57 

Cupboard. 

Generally derived from cup and board. But it 
is evident that a board on which cups may be 
placed, does not constitute a cupboard, which is 
a place shut up, or locked up. 

I find that a cupboard is called in Anglo-Sax. 
hord-cofa, whence I conjecture that it was called 
in old English a cup-hoard, q. d. a receptacle or 
hoard of cups. 

Just in the same way, a Library was called 
boc-hord, a hoard of books. 

Eagle. 

From Anglo-Sax. edge, an eye. 

Excels all other birds in its beautiful bright 
eyes. In Lucan, there is an animated descrip- 
tion of the eagle teaching its young ones to gaze 
upon the Sun. 

The Latin aquila is closely related. 

Kite. 

Anglo-Sax. cyta ; Welsh, cud ; Hindostani, gidh, 
an eagle. 

Hawk. 
Anglo-Sax. hafoc ; Germ, habicht. 



58 

Stork. 
Perhaps from Teutonic stark (strong), on ac- 
count of its superior size to most other birds. 

Heron. 
Old Fr. hairwn ; Ital. airone. 

Finch. 
Lat. fringilla, dropping the letter R. 

Yellowhammer. 

Germ, ammer, and gold-ammer (little birds). 
Perhaps, in some older dialect it was emmer, or 
ember, whence the Latin emberiza. 

Snipe. 

Called a mite in old English. The name has 
been altered in modern times. Snite evidently 
means long-bill. 

So in French, becasse and becassine, from bee. 

Bull. 
I. — From the verb " to bell" now written bel- 
low. 

" The bull bellethr—Reliq. Antiq. 
II. — Otherwise. From the Germ, brullen (to 
bellow). 



59 

III. — The Hindostani word Bail (bull, ox), 
agrees with the English. 

Fox. 

Perhaps from the old English fax, hair, on ac- 
count of his bushy tail. 

The word fax, now obsolete, remains in the 
proper name Fairfax (the fair-haired). 

Vixen, 

Is the feminine of fox, the vowel being altered 
in the German manner: — fuchs, fuchsin, vixen. 
A similar change of vowel is seen in — 
Cat ... (dimin.) ... kitten. 
Cow... (plur.) ... kine. 



Lizard. 



Lacerta, Lat. 



Alligator. 
From the Spanish Alagarto, or lagarto, which 
comes from the Latin lacerta, and has the same 
meaning. Hence it appears that our two very 
different words lizard and alligator have the same 
root ! 

Hedgehog. 
In Germ, stachel-schwein, from stachel, a thorn, 
or prickle. In Danish, pin-swin, hom pin, or spina. 



60 

In French, pore-epic, or porc-epi, from spicula, 
arrows ; or from spines, thorns. 

Our word porcupine is porc-epine. So in 
Spanish we find puerco-espin ; Italian, porco 
spinoso. In Greek, axavQo%oipo§ (from axavQa, 
thorn; %oipog, pig). 

All these names agree together, and render it 
probable, I think, that the word hedgehog is a 
corruption of edge-hog, from edge in the sense 
of sharp point, in which sense, I believe, the 
old form of the same word, ecg, occurs in Anglo- 
Sax, and eg in Dan. Swed. and Iceland. — from 
whence comes our verb " to egg on " (spur, prick, 
or instigate). 
L-^ Deer. 

Anglo-Sax. deor, any wild animal. 

Swed. diur ; Germ, thier ; Gr. Srjp. 

So in German, das Wild means " Game " only, 
and not every kind of wild creature. 

See the next article. 

Reindeer. 

Evidently, from deer. But it is no less evident 
that it is the German Renn-thier, from thier, a 
beast; which shews the origin of our word deer, 
from thier, any wild animal. 

Renn-thier is from the verb rennen, to run. 



61 

Roebuck. 
The first syllable, ro, is Celtic for red. The 
Breton language has ru. 

Gaelic, rua-boc, or ruad-boc, a roebuck. 

Dormouse. 

I. From mouse, and dormio (Johnson). 

II. Since the above etym. is half Latin and 

half English, it is more likely that dormouse 

comes from the French : viz. la dormeuse, the 

sleeper. 

Cockchafer. 

Germ, kafer, a beetle. In the Swabian dialect 

chafer. 

" Der Chafer fliegt der Jilge zu." 

Hebel, Allemann. Gedichte, p. 109. 

Kafer is the Greek xavQapog [kanthar, kather, 
kafer]. In Anglo-Sax. it is ceafor, ceafyr. 

Spider. 

From its spinning webs. Spinner, spinder, 
spider. 

In Germ, it is called Spinne. 

Level. 

From the Latin libella (a level). Libra also 
has the same meaning. 



62 

From the verb libro and equilibrium. Because 
balanced scales are on a level with each other. 

Seres. 

Two eagles, 

M/ Jl» Jl* Jit «4* Jit 

^r t^t Tfr t^ ^ Tfr 

Their necks and cheeks tore with their eager 
seres. Chapman. 

Johnson says : " Of this word I know not the 
etymology ; nor, except from this passage, the 
meaning. Can it come, like sheers, from scyran, 
Saxon, to cut ?" 

Here the great lexicographer is evidently caught 
napping. " Quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus." 

For it is the French word serres, the claws or 
talons of an eagle. 

" L'aigle a les serres bien fortes." — (Diet, de 
l'Acad.) 

Urchin. 

In the sense of a hedgehog, seems to be from 
echin, or e%wog, the Greek name. 

Sea urchins are called at Marseilles, our sins 
(Menage, vol. I. p. 412). 

to Break a hw*se. 
To break a horse is, in German, abrichten ; not 
from brechen (to break), but from richten (to set 



63 

right; to correct in any way; to regulate), which 
comes from recht (right, correct, regular, straight). 

The French use the same phrase, viz. dresser 
un cheval : see Diet, de l'Acad. art. Dresser, which 
signifies (1) tenir droit; as, "dresser la tete ;" (2) 
tourner droit, dirigere ; as, "dresser sa route vers 
le Nord ;" (3) [verbe neutre] se tenir, ou etre 
droit ; as, " ce recit fait dresser les cheveux a la 
tete ;" (4) instruire, former, fac^onner ; as, " dresser 
un cheval pour le manage." 

All these from an old word, dresse or drette 
(straight) ; Ital. dritto ; Fr. droit 

I conclude then, that our phrase " to break a 
horse" is a corruption of 'brichten, or abrichten. 

The phrase, " to break a person of his faults," 
is, I think, derived from hence. 

On the other hand, " to break through a bad 
habit" comes really from the verb to break. 
Although I must admit that it is difficult to 
draw the line correctly between such phrases. 

Redress. 

From the French redresser, to straighten a 
thing which is crooked, to set right what is 
wrong ; as, " redresser un raisonnement," to correct 
an error in argument ; " redresser les griefs," to 
redress grievances. But " redresser les torts," to 



64 

redress injuries, or wrongs, has become obsolete. 
(Diet, de l'Acad.) 

Address. 

"To manage an affair with the utmost ad- 
dress." 

Address, adroitness, and dexterity, convey the 
same idea. 

Might, droit, and the old word dresse, all answer 
to the Latin dewter. Moreover they all answer 
to the Latin rectus, straight. 

This is a most curious fact, namely, that the 
ancients should have seen or imagined so great a 
similarity between the ideas of straightness, and 
the right hand, as to induce them to call them 
by the same names and almost to identify them. 
But this is not all, for they have combined with 
these two ideas, a third, viz. that of a King, so 
closely that they can hardly be separated. 

I have endeavoured to consider whether there 
is any natural or necessary connexion between 
such very different things. 

I find no resemblance between the ideas of 
straightness and the right hand. But the idea of 
royal 'power is connected with both, and there- 
fore serves to unite all three together. The 
notion of power is strongly connected with the 



65 

right hand, which, for that reason, is called 
in Anglo-Saxon, the stronger hand, swithre 
hand. 

Again : — it is the province of a King to rule, 
regulate, order, direct. These words all convey 
the notion of keeping things straight, and of 
'power exerted in so doing. 

So very ancient is this idea that the Greeks 
themselves express the rule of a king by the 
verb iGvvew, to make straight : (exactly as rector, 
a governor, is related to rectus, straight). 
Zsog 8' £fJL7rr)g ttclvt iSuusi. 

Horn. 
IQuvsiv is properly said of carpenters or builders, 
making their work straight with a rule; as, 

£7Tl (TTaQfJLrjV iSuvs. 

Horn. 

So also the Greeks said svSwsiv, to govern, or 
rule, from suSvg, straight. Aaov svQuvcou §opi (Eur. 
Hecub.). 

A long, straight staff in a person's hand was an 
ancient emblem of authority. It has that mean- 
ing in the Egyptian hieroglyphics. 

A rule, regula, the instrument by which a work- 
man obtains a straight line, and verifies it, is 
closely related to the verb regere, and to rex, a 
king. 



66 

These illustrations might be carried much far- 
ther, if the limits of this work permitted. 

Stake. 

A Stake driven into the ground. Span, estaca, 
a palisade. Old English, stang (a pale or post) ; 
old French, estanke ; Italian, stanga, a bar. 

Hence also, Germ, fs\me\\-stange, a flag-staff; 
and old Germ, ger-stange, the staff of a spear. 

Bachelor of Arts. 

This word has created much perplexity to ety- 
mologists. The etym. that has been adopted, 
from bacca laurece, seems fanciful. It is, however, 
ingenious, since the successful aspirant to Uni- 
versity honours may be supposed to be crowned 
with bays.* 

Thomson, however, derives it from baculns, a 
staff, " the emblem of authority," as he says. But 
do bachelors carry this emblem ? 

A bachelor, in Spanish, is bachiller ; which also 
means one who talks much, a babbler. 

Bachelors formerly disputed in the schools on 



* Etymology of the bay tree. French, bate (a berry) ; Germ. 
beere ; whence the tree is called in German, lorbeer, i. e. 
laurel-berry, laurel-baie, or simply Bay. 



67 

various subjects, whence they are called at Cam- 
bridge, wranglers. 

In Norman French, the word is bachiller. 

" Supplie treshumblement votre petit bachiller, 
si vous plest." — (Petition to the king [Rich. II.] 
from Sir Henry de Conway : vid. Proceedings of 
the Privy Council, vol. I. p. 72.) 

This spelling {bachiller) being the same as in 
Spanish, shews, I think, that we had the word 
from them. 

A.D. 1390, it was ordered, " that the bachilers 
of the King's Council should have reasonable 
wages for their trouble." — (lb. p. 18b.) 

Bachelor. 

A young unmarried man. I agree with Thom- 
son, that this may be a different word from the 
last. It is generally derived from has chevalier. 
But does history make mention of any such rank 
or order of persons ? If not, the etym. is to be 
rejected. In default of a better, I will suggest 
that it sounds like the Hindostani bacha-larka, a 
young man, dropping the final syllable. Most 
likely this is a mere casual resemblance, yet it 
must be observed that several words of that lan- 
guage are strangely like English ; as, for example, 
behtar, better ; badtar, worse ; nam, name ; bad- 



68 

nam, with a bad name, infamous; sir-ndmah, title; 
so we say, a surname. 

See a few more Hindustani derivations in the 
note.* 

Gist 
This word is omitted by Johnson and others. 
The gist of a discourse or argument seems to 
mean its geist, or spirit, or essence. 

Devil. 

A remarkably important and very difficult 
word. Formerly it was believed to come from 
the Greek 8/aj3aXXsw, to calumniate, but since 
sounder principles of etymology have prevailed, 
this opinion has been pretty generally abandoned. 
It has been felt, indeed, that the notion of " ca- 
lumny " is much too feeble and insufficient to be 
the origin of the name. I once thought it might 
come from the Celtic duv, or dev, black. But 
I think the following etym. is better grounded : — 

The most probable opinions derive the name 



* Bull, bail ; cow, gau ; kite, gidh (eagle) ; crab apple, 
perhaps from khardb (bad) ; lath, lathi (a stick) ; jar, ghard 
(pitcher), Span, jarra ; hisht ! or, be silent ! hisht ! as in 
English; mouse, mosh ; a jog (jolt), jhok ; warm, garm. 

Some of these are borrowed from the Persian. 



69 

of God, from that of the good spirit, shortened 
by long use and habit into the good, or good. In 
Anglo-Sax. the words Deus and bonus are quite 
identified, both being called by the same name, 
God. And it is only known by the context, 
which is intended.* 

Now in strong contrast to this holy name, 
I think that Satan was denominated the Evil 
Spirit, since shortened by long usage and custom 
into the Evil or Thevil. The Teutonic article De 
shews this better: Be Evil, Devil. It was very 
common in old English for the article to coalesce 
in this manner with the noun. For instance, 
therl, thadvis, thestatys, for the earl, the advice, 
the estates.f 

A strong argument in favour of this opinion 
is found in the fact, that Satan is called in the 
New Testament simply 6 7rour)%og, the Evil, or the 
Evil one. For instance, in the parable of the 
sower (Matt. 13), "then cometh 6 Tovrj^og, the 
wicked (one), and catcheth away that which was 
sown." This phrase makes me believe that the 
name of " the Evil " for Satan, is of the remotest 



* I have seen an Anglo-Saxon translator put by mistake, 
"the will of God," instead of "good will (towards men)." 

f Privy Council III. 151. 



70 

antiquity. Moreover, in Swedish the devil is 
sometimes called Onde, which means, literally, 
Evil. 

In other Teutonic languages the same analogy 
is seen, viz. 

evil ... devil, 
euvel... duivel (Dutch). 

iibel ... teufel (Germ.) ; diivel (plattdeutsch). 
But I can produce another proof from the 
Anglo-Saxon, in which language yfel signifies evil 
and also devil. For it is plain that in the fol- 
lowing passage yfele are devils, opposed to godas, 
gods.* It is from Alfred's Boethius. "But as 
the goodness (godnes) of men raiseth them 
above human nature, to the height that they 
may be called gods (godas), so also their evilness 
(yfelnes) converteth them into something below 
human nature, to the degree that they may be 
named devils (yfele)." 

Possessed. 

Possessed with devils ; or, of devils. 

The Italian language here varies from our own 
in a manner well worthy of consideration, say- 
ing ossessi instead of possessi. 

* See Bosw. Gramm. p. 310. 



71 

Ossesso means besieged, attacked, assaulted, 
set upon ; in French, obsede ; Latin, obsessus (be- 
set, besieged, surrounded). 

It comes from the verb obsidere, in Anglo-Sax. 
ymb-sittan, literally, to sit down around a city or 
fortress, that is, to besiege it. For we use the 
same phrase still, saying of a general, that he sat 
down before such a city. So in Latin to besiege 
is circum-sidere. 

It is worthy of consideration whether the 
Italian phrase ossessi be not the original one. 

Perverse. 

Perversus, turned the wrong way, or crooked. 
The contrary of uprightness and rectitude. So in 
French redresser les torts, to redress injuries ; lite- 
rally, to make straight what was crooked ; from 

tortus, twisted. 

Son. 

Although no certainty can be expected with 
regard to ancient and primitive words like the 
present, yet a guess may be ventured. 

The German kind (a child) may have been at 
first written kin, a final D being added (as in 
Danish, skind, the skin). 

And this kin agrees with cen, the root of the 
Anglo-Sax. cennan, to bear children. 



72 

So perhaps son is a variation of cen, cyn, or 
kin. 

Jos. 

A Chinese idol. Seems to be the Spanish 
word, dios, an idol, from deus, meaning the gods 
worshipped by the Pagans. 

Di often becomes J ; as Jasper, It. Diaspro ; 
Diurnal, Journal. 

Era. 

This word has perplexed etymologists a good 
deal. 

Perhaps it is a mere variation of the word 
year; in old English, yer and yere. In a song 
of the time of Henry VI. the new year is called 
new yeara. 

Annus Domini, the year of our Lord, may have 
been called the yera or Era of our Lord. 

Twilight. 

q. d. between two lights, or rather, dubious 
light. 

Crepusculum is generally derived from creperus, 
(doubtful,) quasi lux crepera, uncertain light. 

In Spanish a dos luces, from Lat. (ad duas 
luces), means ambiguously, doubtfully. 



73 

Livelihood. 

To gain a livelihood, is the same as to gain a 
living, or maintenance. But it is a word not 
very consonant to grammar and analogy. 

Manhood, boyhood, and other similar words, 
are composed of the syllable hood added to a 
noun substantive. Here, on the contrary, the 
first part of the word, lively, is an adjective. But 
waiving this objection, another remains, for the 
meaning of lively does not agree at all with the 
meaning of livelihood. I think, therefore, that 
livelihood is a word corrupted from the old Eng- 
lish liflade, signifying the life a person leads, from 

the verb to lead. 

Leman. 

A lover. In Anglo-Sax. used in a good sense. 
Leofmon, literally loved man. 

to Harry. 

To ravage or waste. From Anglo-Sax. herian, 
hergian ; from here, an army, Germ. heer. 

Hence comes Anglo-Sax. heregang, hergung, &c. 
an invasion. Old English, a harrowing. 

Interest. 
Lat. interesse, to be present, or concerned in 
some affair. " It is my interest," from Latin " in- 

L 



74 

terest mei" which grammatical construction may 
be explained, "aliquid mei interest," — somewhat 
of mine is concerned. Hence, " to feel an in- 
terest in any thing ;" " an interesting story," &c. 

Interest of Money, 

It surprises me very much that any one should 
consider this word to be the same with the last ; 
for there is no connexion between the ideas — 
nothing but a casual resemblance of sound. Let 
us examine by what class of words the interest 
of money is named in other languages. 

In Anglo-Sax. it is wcestm, i. e. fruit, increase, 
offspring, young. 

In Greek, roxog, i. e. offspring, young, from 
tsxsw, to produce offspring. 

In German, wucher, from wachsen, to increase. 

Nothing can be more natural than these words, 
which represent the interest as being the fruit 
or offspring of the larger body, which we call the 
Capital. 

Relying on the analogy of the above examples, 
I would suggest, that the word interest is nothing 
else than a corruption of incress or increase, and 
that our ancestors lent and borrowed money at 
such and such a rate of increase. 



75 

Cost. 

From Lat. constare ; Fr. couster, couter ; It. 
costare ; Sp. costar. 

In old inscriptions ; — Opus constat H.S. CC. 
the work cost — so much. 

It is curious that we have an English phrase 
literally the same as the Latin one : " It stood 
him in so much money." 

to Blush. 

Named from the blood mounting into the 
cheeks. 

Flush is a stronger degree of the same. 

Forefathers. 

There are two good etyms of this word — 

I. — From Fathers. 

II. — From the German Vorfahren, which has 
just the same sense, but means literally " those 
who are gone before us." This is strongly sup- 
ported by the analogy of the Anglo-Saxon fore- 
genga, and Latin antecessors (corrupted into ances- 
tors), from ante-cedo, to precede, or go before. 

I conclude therefore, that both etyms are 
true, and that they have coalesced long ago into 
the modern Euglish forefathers. 



76 

Caloyer. 
"How name ye yon lone Caloyer?" 

Byron. 
A Monk is so called in modern Greek. 
The Greeks fondly imagine that this word 
means "honourable old man" and they write it 
therefore xahoyspo or xaT^oyrjpog. 

I am sorry to differ from them, but I cannot 
help thinking that it is nothing else than the old 
Teutonic " caluwer" i. e. having the head shaved ; 
raso capite ; calvus ; shaven and shorn — which is 
the nature of monks. 

The king, Charles the Bald, was called in the 
dialect of his own day, Caluwe. 

to Chew. 

In German, kauen ; Anglo-Sax. (participle) ge- 
cowen. Surely this verb is derived from the cow, 
in which the action of chewing is so much more 
conspicuous than in any other animal. 

To ruminate is, in German, wieder-kauen, lite- 
rally to chew again. This is applied metaphor- 
ically to patient thought, reflection, rumination. 
It is derived from the habits of the same animal, 
but is certainly, when applied to mental thought, 
one of the most singular metaphors which exists. 



77 

Puppy. 
A soft effeminate fellow is called in Spanish 
muneco, which means a puppet, a figure dressed 
up to represent a man, a mannikin. 

Query, if the English term had not the same 
meaning originally ? 

Smith. 
From Anglo-Sax. smitan, to smite. 

Beetle. 

A large hammer. Anglo-Sax. bytl. 

From the verb to beat. 

The word was formerly, more properly spelt 
heath. 

Chance. 

The primitive idea in this word is that of 
falling. 

Caste, by chance. Chanceler, Fr. to fall. 

It chanced on a certain day ; it befell; it so fell out. 

Germ, falls, in case of ; en cas que. 

Games of dice may have led to these expres- 
sions, since what we call Chance is nowhere more 
conspicuous, and the way in which the dice fall 
constitutes the event. 

to Sack. 

Fr. saccager ; Span, saquedr, to ransack. The 
original idea, to plunder a sack, or purse. 



78 

Aid. 
Formerly ayde. Spanish, ayuda ; It. aiuto, from 
adjutare. Altogether, much shortened, but not 
equal to alms from eter^jLOfrvvt]. 

Undertaking. 
Agrees literally with Germ, unternehmung ; Fr. 
entreprise ; It. impresa ; Lat. susceptum ; so we say 
to take up a project, and lay it down again. 

Jovial. 

Johnson says, " from the Latin jovialis." But 
that only signifies ad Jovem pertinens ; ex. gr. 
Jovialis stella, the planet Jupiter. 

Our word comes doubtless from the French 
jouir, to enjoy. 

Shakspeare ingeniously combines both mean- 
ings — 

" Our jovial star reign'd at his birth." 

Arrow. 

From the Anglo-Sax. earh, fugax, flying. 

I can hardly doubt the truth of this etym. be- 
cause a quiver is called earh-fere (arrow-bearer). 

The final H should be pronounced as a sepa- 
rate syllable ; it constitutes a short vowel-breath- 
ing by itself. 



79 

For example : — thurh (thoro', or thorough). 
burh (boro', or borough). 

Thus then, edrh, sounded nearly as earro', or 
earrow, or yarrow. 

Arrow appears to me to be the root of the 
Spanish verb arrojdr, to dart forth. 

Hildebrand. 

This name appears to be the Danish Ildebrand, 
a firebrand (from ild, fire). 

Although, since Hilde signifies " battle" in An- 
glo-Saxon, it may possibly mean " the battle- 
brand " i. e. " the battle-sword." 

Conrad. 
Spanish, Honrado, or Honoratus. 
In French, Honoratus has become St. Honore. 

A lured. 
Another spelling for Alfred. Rex Aluredus. 

Rosamond. 

From Rosa. But the last part of the name 
is doubtful. The derivation from Rosa mundi is 
elegant and fanciful. 

Mund is the mouth in German, so that one 
might imagine it to mean Rosen-mund, or rosy- 



80 

mouth. But, hi fact, I think it is the Spanish 
Rosa monies, Rose of the mountain, i. e. the 
pceony, a very beautiful flower, which grows upon 
mountains, as I have noticed myself in the north 
of Italy. The pseony varies in hue nearly as 
much as the rose. 

to Mock. 

Greek, pcbxav ; Span, mueca (quasi moca), a 
grimace. In French, moquer. 

" Mops and mows," in our old poets, are, as 
Johnson truly observes, mocks and mouths. To 
make mouths, or wry mouths, is the natural ex- 
pression of derision. 

Momus, the god of raillery and laughter, took 
his name also from this primitive word Mo, the 
mouth. 

Monkey. 

I derive the name of the monkey from the 
verb to mok, or mock; Sp. mueca, or moca, a gri- 
mace. So in Lat. it is called simia, a simulando. 

The word may have been originally written 
mockey, or mokey* the intrusion of N before K 
or C being so exceedingly common ; ex. gr. lo- 
custa, Sp. langosta; and Ka.%eiv, Xay%oLveiv. 



Compare F. magot, a large Ape. 



81 

An ingenious conjecture appears in Johnson, viz. 
that monkey is derived from manikin, or little man. 

But I rather prefer the other etym. because 
more characteristic of the creature. Witness such 
phrases as the following : — 

" He makes as many grimaces as a monkey? v 

"The buffoon ape with grimaces and gambols 
carried it from the whole field." — L'Estrange. 

Grimace. 

Johnson derives it from grim ; but on the con- 
trary a grimace is generally laughable. The ety- 
mologies in Menage are so excessively bad* that 
we may venture upon a conjecture ourselves, 
and feel certain of not faring worse. 

Thomson says that grimace is gimmacia in Ita- 
lian ; if so, it may come from Spanish gimio,-f a 
monkey, in Latin, simia. 

There was formerly a trade, that of the gri- 
macier, whose business it was to carve the fan- 
tastic heads so frequent in gothic architecture. — 
Cotgrave's Dictionary. 



* Such as that from agrimensor, a land surveyor, because such 
persons make contortions while taking their observations ! 

t Sometimes written Ximio. 

M 



82 

to Employ. 

This word has arisen from two Latin verbs, 
applicare, to apply ; and implere, to fill ; whose 
meanings have been confused together. And not 
only in English, but also in the Spanish verb em- 
plear, and the Italian impiegar. 

Application, employment, study, are nearly the 
same. 

Our old writers use the word apply nearly in 
the same sense with employ. Thus, for instance, 
Locke : 

"That which his mind is applied about whilst 
thinking." — [employed about. ~\ 

" God applies the services of the angels and 
governs their actions." — [employs.'] Rogers. 

" The profits thereof might be applied." — 
[employed. ] Clarendon. 

To employ a thing (make use of it) comes, I 
think, from applicare (to apply it to some pur- 
pose) ; especially since ployer is the French for 
plicare: (chiefly used in poetry, in common lan- 
guage they say plier). 

Why then do we not say " to apploy " a thing, 
if it come from applicare? Because it has co- 
alesced into one with another verb " to employ" 
which comes from " implere." 



83 

An employment or office, (Fr. emploi ; Span. 
empleo) comes from implere, remplir, to fill a 
place, to fill a situation, post, or office. 

Ital. impiego, an office or charge. 

Impiegare, to employ, make use of anything. 

to Warp. 
To warp, as wood does, Anglo-Sax. ahwerfan. 

Hare. 

The most timorous of animals, is perhaps named 
from Anglo-Sax. earg, timid ; earh, swift, flying 
through fear, timorous, weak, fugax. 

Well-a-day ! 

This harmless interjection has been altered 
from well-a-way ! which is from the Anglo-Sax. 
vcb la va ! Vce ! is the same in Latin ; in Ger- 
man it is weh ! or woe ! 

to Blunder. 

Perhaps from blind. To walk, or act, as if 
blind ; csecutire. 

Callow. 
Old German, chalo ; Lat. calvus. 
A callow brood ; naked, bare, unfledged. 



84 

Scum, 
Old French, escume, now ecume ; Lat. spuma is 
the same. 

From the verb to swim, which is suum, or svum, 
in old German.* 

to Skim. 
To skim milk is to take off the portion which 
rises to the surface, or which floats and swims 
there. — Vide the preceding article. 

The action of a person skimming milk and 
only just touching the surface has given rise to 
the metaphorical sense of the word in poetry : — 
" Flies o'er the corn and skims along the main." 

To skim is, in Spanish, espumdr ; Fr. escumer, 
now ecumer. 

to Mock. 
To rock the cradle, &c. 
Old German, rucchen, to move ; Germ, rilcken. 

Hough. 

Hough is allied to rudis, through the old Ger- 
man ruoz or ruot (asper). 

Lignum rude — rough timber, unshaped. 
Chemins tres rudes — very rough ways. 



* The two different forms, spuma and scuma, are clearly 
united by this old Teutonic svuma. 



85 

Bitter. 
Allied to 7rixf>og, through the old Germ, pitter. 
Spanish picor, a pungent, piquant taste. 

to Thwack. 

From Anglo-Sax. thwang, or thwancg, a thong 
of leather. 

to Scold. 

Germ, sclielten. This word is ancient, being 
said of old women in the Niebelungen Lied. 

Backgammon. 
Old German gamen, a game. Iceland, gaman. 
Since the object of the player is to bring back 
all his men, the name may be thence derived. 

Spot. 

A pleasant spot; the sweetest spot on earth. 

So in German, fleck, a place ; flecken, a village ; 
also, a mark or spot. 

In the same way, I would derive the Greek 
ro7rog, a place, from tuttos, a spot or mark. 

to Lower. 

" The dawn is overcast, the morning low'rs, 
" And heavily in clouds brings on the day." 

Addison. 



86 

" If on St. Swithin's feast the welkin low'rs." 

Gay. 
Johnson feels uncertain of the etymology. 
He observes, that the sky seems to grow low 
in dark weather: which is true. But I rather 
think that to lower is the Spanish verb Hover, to 
rain. 

Grist. 
To carry grist to the mill, is a well-known 
phrase. Some derive it from the verb to grind, 
as if it meant corn intended to be ground. 

I rather think it is the German and Anglo- 
Sax, gerst, barley. 

Stock. 

To lay in a good stock of anything. 

This does not come from the Anglo-Sax. stoc, 
which has no resemblance of meaning. 

In Norman French, the term for a stock is 

estuff: ex. gr. " Festiff del chastell de Pembrok 

de Cardygan " i. e. the stock, munitions of 

war, provisions, &c. contained in those castles. — 
Proceedings of Council, II. 341. 

See the passage quoted under the article " Man 
of War." 

Hence I think that stock comes from the Germ. 
stoff (material, or substance) ; English, stuff. 



87 

So we say, " a man of substance" for wealth, 
abundance. 

Ripple. 

A diminutive from ruffle — the surface of water 
slightly ruffled. 

Stiletto. 

i. e. a small stylus. The ancients wrote with a 
stylus upon wax tablets, and it must have proved 
upon occasion a ready weapon. It is related that 
the celebrated John Scotus Erigena was killed 
by a body of students with their writing instru- 
ments (graphiis).* 

Gallant. 

Gallant seems to be the same word with Ital. 
valente, valiant ; G for V or W being a very usual 
change, as guerre, war; gages, wages. The Ita- 
lians say both galantuomo and mlentuomo. The 
proper names Valerius and Galerius are perhaps 
related to Spanish valeroso (valorous). 

Gauls. Galatians 

May have taken their name from thence. For 
the root is found in the Welsh and Armoric, 



Soames's Anglo-Saxon Church. 



88 

Gallu, power, might; (also a verb — to be able, 
to have power, valeo). 

The Galli may have meant the " mighty " or 
"valiant" What confirms this, is, that the same 
word explains the other appellation by which 
they were known in ancient times, viz. the Galatce. 

Validi. (Galidi.) Takarai. 

Or, more simply, from what precedes we may 
interpret Galatce to mean " the Gallant " : q. d. 
the nation of warriors. 

Value. 

An old Norman French word, probably from 
the Celtic root gallu (valeo), above mentioned. 

Not derived from the Latin valor, but is, 
nevertheless, a word of the same family, and cor- 
responding to it. 

Guelder Rose. 

Viburnum opulus (Linn.). Commonly supposed 
to take its name from the pays de Gueldres on 
the Continent. 

But without foundation. The name has been 
altered from Elder rose, for it was considered a 
species of Elder by several of the earlier botanists. 

Bauhin, Matthiolus, Camerarius, &c. call it sam- 
bucus aquatica, that is, water elder. Its flowers, 
in a wild state, are in level topped cymes, resem- 



89 

bling the Elder in general appearance ; but when 
cultivated it improves greatly and becomes the 
snowball tree of the gardens. 

This plant and the Elder are placed next each 
other by Smith in his English Flora; they are 
of the same natural family, and of the L same 
Linnaaan class and order (Pentandria trigynia), 
whence I think the correctness of the etym. here 
given is manifest. 

Arbor Judce. 

The name given to this very beautiful tree ex- 
cites surprise. 

It bears rose-coloured flowers shaped like a 
pea and succeeded by pods (siliquce), for which 
reason it is called by Linnseus, Cercis Siliquas- 
trum, because this circumstance is unusual among 
trees, though common enough among smaller 
herbs. 

Now the phaseolus or French bean is called 
in Spanish Judia. Hence I think this beautiful 
tree was first called the Bean tree, or Arbol 
Judia, and afterwards by mistake, Arbor Judge. 

Baltic Sea. 
Pliny (4, 13) on the authority of Xenophon of 
Lampsacus, says that Baltia is an island of im- 

N 



90 

mense magnitude, three days' sail from the Scy- 
thian shore. Cluverius says, the Baltic Sea is so 
called from balteus, a belt ; because the strait 
between the principal Danish islands has always 
been known by the name of the Belt. 

Frontier. 

It appears by the Norman French that the 
last syllable of this word is significant, and means 
terre, or land ; ex. gr. " la frontere des enemys." 

Artichoke. 

Spanish, alcachofa, from Arabic, al kharshuf. 
Whence also the Italians have made carciofo. 

Man of war. 

Since a ship, in English, is always feminine, 
it is rather surprising that one of the largest 
class should be called a Man of war. This ano- 
maly may be explained in the following manner : — 

Men of war (gens d'armes) were heavy armed 
soldiers. 

A ship full of them was called a man-of-war 
ship. In process of time, " ship " was left out as 
unnecessary, and there remained the phrase, a 
Man-of-War. 

In evidence of the above, the following pas- 



91 

sage may be quoted from Proceedings of the 
Privy Council, II. 81 :— 

" Vesselx a nombre competent et souffisantment 
estuffez de gens darmes et archers." 

Casque. 

A helmet ; from the French. 

Properly means a skull-cap, from Spanish casco, 
the skull. The Latin cassis, a helmet, is a nearly 
related word of the same family. 

Span, casco also signifies any shell, hull, or 
tegument. 

It may be observed, that skull and shell were 
originally the same word, or very nearly so. 

Cascarilla. 

A kind of Peruvian bark. 

Sp. Casca, (1) bark for tanning leather ; (2) any 
kind of skin or tegument. 

Cascara, (1) bark of trees ; (2) any kind of 
rind or peel. 

Whence diminutive, Cascarilla. 

Helmet. 

Helmet, or helm ; Ital. elmo ; Span, yelmo. 
Nearly related to the verb to ivhelm, or cover 
entirely. 



92 

So the Spanish celada, a helmet, is related to 
Lat. celare, to conceal. 

Airs. 

Proud persons are said to give themselves great 
airs. This is a very ancient phrase, for we find 
it in Augustine : — " Vulgo magnos spiritus superbi 
habere dicuntur. Et recte; quandoquidem spiri- 
tus etiam ventus vocatur. Quis vero nesciat su- 
perbos inflates dici tanquam vento distentos?" 

Hence the phrase, being puffed up with pride. 

to Grant. 

In Norman French, a pardoned person says, 
"je grant et promet," &c. &c. I warrant and 
promise that I will serve the king faithfully. 

To grant (grauntier) was not to give, simply, 
but to warrant or guarantee the secure posses- 
sion of the gift. 

To grant him payment of the said sum;* 
" grauntier paiement du dicte somme." In the 
year 1423, the constable of Harlech Castle peti- 
tioned the Council, " de lui graunter un garraunt 
directe al Tresorer d'Engleterre."f 

* Proceedings of the Privy Council, II. 140. 
f Ibid. III. 62. 



93 

This phrase occurs frequently. To grant is, 
therefore, derived from warrant, and not from 
gratia, as some have supposed. 

Scullery. 

In old French of A.D. 1400 it was squillery.* 

Squill, or esquel, was the old word for a cup, 
dish, or porringer. Afterwards, it became es- 
cuelle, and now ecuelle. 

It has been said that our northern ancestors 
quaffed beer out of the skulls of their enemies. 

This story has very probably arisen from a mis- 
understanding of the word scull, by which nothing 
more was intended than a cup or goblet : — escuel, 
escull, scull. 

Perhaps this was the most common pronun- 
ciation, since we have retained it in the word 
scullery. 

Squill. 

A flower, a kind of hyacinth ; the S^AXa of 
the Greeks. As the campanula, or bell-flower, 
takes its name from the Ital. campana, a bell, so 
the squill is named from Ital. squilla, a bell, al- 
luding to the form of its flowers. 

Squilla, a bell, is doubtless the same word with 

* Proceedings of the Privy Council, II. 42. 



94 

squill, a cup, in the old Norman French. The 
German schale, a cup, is also the same. 

This root, in the northern languages, is very 
extensive and important. 

Homage. 
In feudal Latin, homagium vel hominium fa- 
cere ; from the phrase " devenit homo suus," 
il devint son homme. 

Goths. 

Nations frequently gave themselves magnificent 
appellations ; thus, the Rajpoots are " sons of 
kings " ; the inhabitants of Ceylon are Cingalese, 
from Singh, a Lion ; and a tribe of ancient Scy- 
thia were named the Royal Scythians. 

The Goths may have intended to call them- 
selves the god-like race of men, from the old 
Teutonic word guth, goth, deus ; in Swed. and 
Dan. gud, whence, perhaps, the Jutes of Jutland 
took their name. 

It is observable that Homer calls the Pelas- 
gians divine, or god-like — 

hoi rs UsT^acyoi. 

II. x. 429. 

This is very remarkable, because one would 
have thought he would rather have bestowed 



95 

such an epithet upon the Greeks. Is it possible 
that he may have translated the name of TotQoi, 
Gothi, or Getse, by the word $101 ? 

Bosworth derives the name of the Goths from 
guth, battle ; quasi " brave warriors." 

Crayfish. 

Old French, crevice (see Cotgrave's Dictionary). 
This is from ecrevisse ; Germ, krebs, a crab. 

Loggerhead. 

A blockhead, thick-skull, (Johnson) ; from Log. 

But the phrase, " to fall to loggerheads about a 
thing," has quite a different origin, which John- 
son has not observed. 

" A couple of travellers that took up an ass, 
fell to loggerheads which should be his master." 

L 'Estrange. 

It means to lug each other by the hair, from 
the Swedish luggas, lugga, to pull by the hair. 

to Slink. 

Swedish, slinka in, to slink in. Closely related 
to Germ, schleichen. 

Swed. slinga, to twist. 

slingra sig r to slink away. 
slingrig, serpentine, sinuous. 



96 

It is evident that these words have great affi- 
nity to the German schlange, a snake. 

Snake. 
From the verb " to sneak." Or else, vice versa, 
that verb from the substantive. 

to Insinuate. 

A Latin word. Metaphor from the motion of 
a snake. 

A serpentine or sinuous path, so called be- 
cause formed of a succession of gentle curves 
(sinus). 

Through the smallest crevice the snake sneaks 
in. — See the last article. 

to Regret. 
French, regretter. From the Scottish word " to 
greet" i. e. to weep or lament ; Moesogothic, 
gretan (plorare). 

Coffin. 
Resembles in sound the Greek xofyivog, Lat. 
cophinus, but differs considerably in meaning. 

Nevertheless, they may be radically the same 
word. 

In Cotgrave's old French Dictionary we find — 
Cqfin, a coffin ; also, a great case of wicker. 






97 

Cophin, a basket, or small pannier of wicker. 

But in the following passage it means a lea- 
ther case : — Un petit hanap de jaspe en un co- 
phin de quyr.* 

Apparently, therefore, it meant any kind of 
box or case. 

In the Kalendars of the Exchequer (vol. I, 
p. 115), edited by Sir F. Palgrave, certain rolls, 
letters, and other papers, are said to have been 
deposited " in coffino ligneo piano, non ligato." 
This memorandum is of the time of Edward I. 
Other similar ones say " in copliino ligneo ;" " in 
cofino piano." 

A nearly related word is coffrum, a coffer. 

" Coffrum plenum de diversis rotulis." 

" In coffro ferro ligato."f 

N.B. Perhaps coffino is a diminutive from coffro: 
viz. coffrino, and (omitting the R) coffino. 

Pannier. 
Properly, a baker's basket ; from panis, bread. 

Basket. 
A very ancient British word. 



* Kalendars of the Exchequer, torn. III. p. 170, 
t Ibid. I. 137. 



98 

Barbara de pictis veni bascauda Britannis, 
Sed me jam mavult dicere Roma suam. 

Martial. 

to Bask. 

To bask in the sun's rays ; to bask oneself in 
the sun. 

Thomson is of opinion that this has affinity to 
the verb " to bake" in which he is probably cor- 
rect ; for, barter is an old name for a baker. 

Cameo. 

Old French, camahu. Ex. gr. (temp. Edw. III.) 
" Un pontifical dont la meistre piere est camahu."* 

Cotgrave's Dictionary says : — 

Camayeu, a sardonix: also, a brooche. 

Camay euw antiques; medals, or auncient images 
of mettall molten and cast into the forme of 
brooches. 

Ingot. 

The hole in the mould by which the melted 
metal enters, is still called the in-gate. 

Chaucer uses ingot for a mould. (Thorns.) 

Anglo-Sax. geota?i, to pour. Whence in-geotan, 
to pour in, (viz. into the mould) : which compound 
I do not find, but we may safely presume its 

* Kalendars of the Exchequer, III. 185. 



99 

former existence. Swedish giuta,* to pour ; Germ. 
g lessen, eingiessen. 

The French lingot is our word ingot with the 
article le prefixed. L'ingot. Lingot. 

Jaw. 
French joue. The old English spelling was 
jowe. " Thi jowes." (Eeliq. Antiq. p. 157.) 

Blackguard. 

From black and guard. (Johnson.) A deriva- 
tion which is destitute of any meaning. 

Perhaps this word is a corruption of braggart, 
(a boaster, or bully). 

Crone. 

An old crone is perhaps from the Danish, en 
ond kone (a scold). Ond means " evil " : kone, 
" woman." 

Shadow. Shade. 

Anglo-Sax. scadu and scedd. The latter ap- 
proaches closely to the Greek <rxio&o$, an um- 
brella, whence (txio&7i$oqsiv, to carry one. 

* Lat. gutta is related to this. 



100 

Couch-grass. 

Or quitch-grass, Anglo-Sax. cwice; Dutch kweek 
gras (Bos worth), means, grass that can hardly 
be killed or destroyed, always coming up again. 
The Agrostis stolonifera. Linn, the plague of 
gardeners. 

From Anglo-Sax. cwic, vivacious. 

Mimosa. 

The well-known " sensitive plant." Mimosa 
pudica. L. 

Sir J. Smith, in Rees's Cyclopaedia, endeavours 
to deduce the name from Mimus, an Actor. 

But the real etym. is much more simple. 
It is nothing else than the Spanish adjective 
mimosa (delicate : prudish), derived from mimo, 
prudery. 

Rue. 

Anglo-Sax. rud ; Lat. rata ; Gr. pury. Rue, or 
Herb of Grace. Why should it be called herb 
of grace? Doubtless from the resemblance of its 
name Rud to the Rood, or Holy Cross. 

Codling. 

Diminutive of Anglo-Sax. Cod, a quince. 
Cotoncum malum of the Latins. 



101 

Bciffodil. 
Old Italian, affbdillo ; now modernised into 
asfoditto. Doubtless the Asphodel of the Greeks. 
Homer gives a pleasing description of the shades 
of the dead, as wandering 

" Thro' flowery meads of Asphodel." 

The charming Narcissus abounds in the meadows 
of the South of Europe, adorning them with its 
fragrant flowers, to which the poet alludes. 

Modern botanists however, have conferred the 
name of Asphodel upon a very different plant, 
by no means worthy of so poetical a name. 

The Asphodelus ramosus, although like a tall 
and spreading Candelabrum, it decorates the 
ruined temples of Psestum, and in such a situa- 
tion gives picturesque effect, is from its great size 
and harshness most unsuitable to a meadow, and 
seldom if ever found in one. 

With respect to our English name, it appears 
that fleur d'Affodille has been altered into Daf- 
fodil. 

Hamper. 

From hanaper, a sort of box in which deeds 
and papers were deposited. 

"In hanaperio de virgis " (Kal. Exeh, I. 127), 



102 

from which it appears they were made of twigs 
then, as they are still. 

This word may come from hanap, a cup or 
goblet, a term of frequent occurrence : whence 
Germ. napf. 

to Stand — to Be. 

Those who study the philosophy of language 
can hardly select a more important word for 
their consideration than the verb " to be" " Ex- 
istence" considered alone, and without specifying 
any particular mode of existence, is a very ab- 
stract idea. Our rude and simple ancestors must 
have had some trouble in giving it a name. How 
did they overcome this difficulty ? 

If we examine, we shall perceive that they 
called in the assistance of the verb stare, " to 
stand" a good positive verb, capable of giving its 
solid support to the somewhat too impalpable 
" esse" 

Let us place the two verbs in contrast. In 
the Lat. Ital. Span, and Fr. they are as follows : 



Lat. ... esse 


Lat. ... stare 


Ital. ... esser 


Ital. ... stare 


Span.... ser 


Span.... estar 


Fr. ... etre 


Fr. [wanting]* 



* The verb ester, to stand, is found in old law-books, but is 
completely obsolete in all other senses. 



103 

Now, the first thing that strikes us as very 
remarkable is, that the verb "to stand " is want- 
ing in the French language, although almost every 
other European tongue possesses it. You cannot 
say in French, simply " / stand" the bold and 
brief " sto " of the Romans. You must say, 
" Je suis debout," or use some other circumlo- 
cution. 

The French must have had formerly some word 
equivalent to the Latin " stare" but what can 
have become of it? It has been absorbed en- 
tirely by its companion "esse" and its former ex- 
istence is only faintly indicated by the form of the 
infinitive, estre (now etre), in which the presence 
of a t shews something alien from the Latin esse. 
The same process has taken place to a consi- 
derable extent in Spanish and Italian, in both of 
which star and estar have a meaning often not to 
be distinguished from the simple verb " to be" 
Examples in Italian. 
Son stato. ... I have been. 

Cosi sta. ... So it is. 

Come state f ... How are you f 
Sto per correre. / am on the point of ... . 
Star mangiando To be eating. 
In Spanish. 
Estar escribiendo ... To be writing. 



104 

Nor are examples wanting in ancient Latin of 
the near relationship between esse and stare, as we 
may see in the word status, ex. gr. — 

Antiqmis status, the former state of a thing. 

Manere suo statu (Cic.), to remain in the same 
state. 

Status (Fr. estat, 6tat). Vetat dune chose est 

A 

sa maniere d'etre. Etre en bon etat : en mau- 
vais etat. 

The Latins have no word to express the ovrsg 
of the Greeks ; for instance, woT^s^ioi ovtss cannot 
be so expressed in Latin by any participle of the 
verb esse. But it can in French, 

Etant ennemis ; old Fr. estantz enemys. 

(quasi) stantes inimici. 

Now this is a considerable proof that the word 
etant comes from the root stare. 

We cannot indeed say in Latin " stantes ini- 
mici," for the idiom does not admit of it, but we 
can say " existentes inimici," and this throws a 
great light upon the origin of the word " existere," 
to exist : to be. The grammarians derive it from 
ex, out of: sister e, to place, which does not ac- 
count in the least for its meaning. 

But the real connexion of the word seems to 
be with "esse," and with stare in the sense of 
esse. 



105 



may be all the same word. 



Lat. existens 

Ital. esistente 

Old Fren. estant 

However this may be, it is plain that the 
French formerly nsed etant in the sense of stand- 
ing. As in the following examples. 

Item i. hanap steant snr tin hante pee endorre.* 

Item i. crois large esteant sur un large pee dor. 

Un beau forcer de yvere esteant sur iiii lions. 
So that the true etymology of etant is, 

Stare, particip. stans, stantis. Fr. estant, etant. 

Mortar. 
I derive this word from the maltha of Pliny 

(36, 24). Maltha e calce fit recenti Res 

omnium tenacissima et duritiam lapidis antece- 
dens. 

Clay. 
Anglo-Sax. Clceg. A very tenacious kind of 
earth, and therefore fatiguing to walk upon. Re- 
lated to the verbs, to clog ; to cleave ; Germ. 
kleben. 

Birdlime. 
Germ. Leim (glue). Dan. Swed. IceL Urn. 
Dutch, lym (the same). 



* Kalendars of the Exchequer, III. 356. 
P 



106 

Originally meant " any thing sticky or adhe- 
sive." Related to slime. 

Lime. 

The same with the last word originally. And 
also with the Latin limus (adhesive earth or 
mnd) ; and with slime. 

The Anglo-Sax. word Lim unites all these 
meanings. Bosworth cites some instructive ex- 
amples. 

Ps. 69, 2. " I sink in deep mire where there 
is no standing," is rendered : " Afsestnod ic eom 
on lime grundes :" — other copies read " on slime." 

Lim to wealle : mortar for walls. 

Lim to fugele : birdlime. 

Eorthan lime : with clay of earth. 

Brick. 

Burnt earth or clay, from Ital. bruciare, to 
burn. Terra cotta. 

Gen. xi. 3. " And they said one to another : 
6 Go to, let us make brick and burn them tho- 
roughly.' And they had brick for stone, and 
Slime had they for morter." 

It is curious to find the origin of our brick 
and lime in the plain of Shinar, and in the muri 
coctiles of the city of Semiramis. 



107 

Charles. 

Carolus. Karolus. 

I am surprised to find that etymologists derive 
this — one of the most illustrious of proper names, 
borne by so many kings and emperors — from the 
German word Jcerl ; Scandinav. karl; Anglo-Sax. 
ceorl or churl : — a term which denotes rus- 
ticity, and is quite opposed to every idea of 
nobility. 

A stout fellow : an honest country-man, or hus- 
bandman, is the best meaning which ceorl ad- 
mits of. 

Now that this is not the real derivation of 
Karolus may, I think, be regarded as certain. As 
to its real origin, I have very little doubt that 
it is the Sclavonic Korol or Krol, a King. The 
vicinity of Poland accounts easily for the intro- 
duction of the word, and besides it comes origi- 
nally from the Latin corona (dim. corolla), the 
Crown, i. e. the King. 

George. 

St. George was a native of Asia Minor. And 
we may observe, that in the same country the 
name of Gordius was celebrated, and there was 
a city called Gordium. The name of Gorgus is 
found in Herodotus, and both Gorgon and Gor- 



108 

gias occur as names of Athenian private citizens 
in an inscription given by Rose (tab. 14). 

Athelstan 

The jewel : the precious stone. Germ. Edel- 
stein. 

Caliban. 

Very likely from the gypsy word Cauliba?i, 
black.* 

William. 

Latin, Gulielmus. A fine old chivalrous name. 

It was anciently written Gull-Malmus,\ which 
name expresses very clearly the Icelandic Gull- 
hialmr, i. e. Golden Helmet, and in Danish and 
Swedish nearly the same. 

In Italian also Guglielmo (from elmo, a helmet). 
Our English name has been a good deal altered. 
Gold-helm, Gol'helm, Wilhelm, {Germ.) William. 

Compare Bright-helm, who gave his name to 
Brighthelmst one . 

Christopher. 

If we derive this name from the Greek Qepeiv, 
it signifies Christum ferens vel portans, which 
conveys no very distinct meaning : although I may 

* Hindostani, Kola-burn. See Asiatic Researches, 7, 475. 
f See Hickes's Thesaurus. 



109 

observe in passing that it is the sole foundation 
of the legend of St. Christopher. In a Latin do- 
cument of A.D. 1423, it is abbreviated into X'po- 
ferus. An English petition of the same date, 
from a private individual, commences thus :* " Bi- 
secheth fulle mekely Christopfore of Preston." 
And in an Ordinance written in French [ibid. p. 
136.] I find the name three times consecutively 
spelt Christopfre. 

Probably this is the genuine spelling, or very 
near it. 

Christopfer signifies Christ's sacrifice, i. e. the 
Sacrifice of the Mass ; the Mess-opfer,f so named 
from the German opfer, a sacrifice. 

Examples taken from Luther s Translation, 

"To put away sin by the sacrifice of himself," 
is rendered, durch sein eigenes Opfer. — Hebrews, 
9, 26. 

"After he had offered one sacrifice for sins for 
ever," da er hat ein Opfer geopfert. — lb. 10, 12. 

In English we have nearly the same phrase, 
"to offer an offering." 

The single word "to offer " means to sacrifice 
a victim to the Lord in many passages : 

* Proceedings of the Council III. 78. 
f Mess-opfer is an old word. 



110 

" One lamb thou shalt offer." 

" It shall be eaten the same day ye offer 
it." 

" The priest that offeretli it shall eat it." [Exod. 
and Levit.] 

And in Welsh the same word is frequent, as 
Offeiriad, a priest ; Offeren, the Mass ; Offrwm, a 
sacrifice. 

The name Crist-opfer, Christ-offer, may have 
been given to children born on Good Friday ; 
as those born on Easter and Christinas were 
named Pascal and Noel. 

Or it may have been part of a short Christian 
sentence, like Amadeo (love God), Rene (renatus, 
born again), Tousaintz (all saints), Gottlob (praise 
God), a common German name. 

Beda. 

The name of the " venerable Beda" may be 
interpreted " prayer ;" and as this seems a most 
appropriate appellation for a holy monk, it was 
probably the meaning intended to be conveyed. 

Cuthbert. 

A much less suitable appellation for a Saint, 
if indeed it signifies " bright in war ;" Anglo- 
Sax, (juth (bellum, proelium). 



Ill 

Carmine. 

For Kermesine. The letters SI being lost, 
owing to a rapid pronunciation, as in frascinus, 
frassino, frene : quarisima, careme : and asinus, 
ane. % 

Crimson. 

Ital. cremesino, is the word kermesinus altered 
in another manner. 

Unit. Unity. 

Latin, unitas ; Germ, einheit ; Old English, oon- 
hede. " For as muche as oonhede of the lords of 
this land is the way and the meene to cause oon- 
hede of willes and ententes," &c. — A.D. 1426.f 

This English word is not derived from the La- 
tin unitas, but is the Teutonic form correspond- 
ing to it. 

Chamois. 

Chamois, Germ, gemse. 

The name of this animal is much disguised by 



* Upon the same principle we find maxilla, mala; axilla, 
ala; pauxillum, paulum; pusillus, pullus (the young of any 
animal) ; paxillus, palus (a stake, post, or pole) ; taxillus, 
talus (a die); auxilla, olla (a pot). 

This contraction occurs when L, M, or N, follow the syl- 
lable SI. 

f Privy Council III. 182. 



112 

the modern French pronunciation. But if we re- 
store an antiquated orthography,* it will be- 
come Kamais, or Karnes; and we then imme- 
diately perceive that it is the Grecian Ke^as and 
Germ. Gemse. 

The chace of the Ksfjiotg is thus described by 
Homer : 

a>s ors XQLp%apo§QVTe Sua) xuvz eihors Brjpr}g 

7} KSjOtaS' vjs T^aywov S7reiysTov s^eusg oust 

%wpov av torjevff , b Ss rs 7rpodsy](ri fJLS^xwg .... 

II. x. 361. 
Plight 

" To be in a sad plight" 

From Anglo-Sax. pleoh, danger. 

As from heah comes high ; from neah, nigh ; 
and from theoh, thigh. 

Javelin. 

Spanish, javalina, a boar-spear ; from jabali, a 
wild boar. 

On the oldest Greek vases warriors are seen 
spearing boars. 

Dagger. 

From Spanish daga, which is from Germ, degen, 
a sword. 

* K or C for CH, as in Chevre, Capra. 



113 

Towel. 
Span, toalla, from Fr. toile (a cloth). 

Victuals. 
Spanish, vituallas. 

Head over heels. 

This proverbial expression, apparently ought to 
be "heels over head." And so it seems to be in 
Swedish, " Hals oefver hufvud." — (Meidinger, p. 
541.) 

Disgrace. 

From gratia, favour. 

A disgraced courtier or minister, i. e. out of 
favour. 

Gratia is in German gnade, a curious etymo- 
logy; upon which, however, I shall not dwell at 
present. 

o 

Gnade is in Swedish nad. 

Hence the words stand thus in the three lan- 
guages : 

o 

Grace. Gnade. Nad. 
Disgrace. Ungnade. Onad. 

to Hanker. 

To hanker after a thing : (to desire it ar- 
dently). 



114 

I. — Perhaps this is of the same family with 
" to hunger? For we find " to hunger and thirst 
after a thing."— [Matthew y. 6.] 

II. — Perhaps, however, it is related to the Swe- 
dish hag (mind, fancy, inclination to any thing). 
For so we say, " to have a mind for a thing," 
i. e. to wish for it. 

Bumpkin. 

A country bumpkin. Diminutive from the 
Swedish and Danish bonde, a peasant, a country- 
man. Whence bondkin or bundkin. 

Johnson has the following observations. " This 
word is of uncertain etymology. Henshaw de- 
rives it from pumpkin, a kind of worthless gourd 
or melon. This seems harsh." 

On referring to Thomson, I find that he gives 
the same etym. which I have done. I have 
therefore very little doubt of its being the correct 
one. 

Barley. 

Also called in Acts of Parliament bear and 
bigg. 

Bear (in Gothic bar) seems related to the 
Latin far, corn ; and to the Welsh and Breton 
bara, bread. 

Barley, a diminutive from bar : Bar-li. This 
kind of diminutive ending in li is very common 



115 

in some German dialects, as the Swabian for 
instance. 

Bigg is the Danish byg (barley). 

Beer. 

From bear (Anglo-Sax. bere), barley, as^ being 
obtained from that grain. 

This liquor is called beor in Anglo-Sax. 

Yeast 

Anglo-Sax. gist Dutch, gist, gest 

From the Teutonic geist (spiritus). The Latin 
word is fermentum, from fervere. In Icelandic geist 
means fervent, fiery. 

Halter. 

From Germ, hals, the neck. 

Dapper. 

Germ, tapfer, brave. Swed. and Dan. tapper. 
Holl. dapper. A good deal altered in meaning. 

Pitch. 

Lat. piw, picis. Gr. wurfra. Also 7rirvg and 
ttsuktj, the trees from which pitch is obtained. 
Lat. picea is Gr. ttsuxtj. 

Procumbunt picese, sonat icta securibus ilex, 
Fraxineseque trabes. — Virg. 



116 

Ferret 
French furet, from Latin fur, a thief, alluding 
to the stealthy motions of the animal. 

Stickleback. 

A small fish with a thorny back. From Germ. 

stachel, a thorn. 

Conger. 

One of the largest species of eel. 

Conger Eel appears to signify "king of the 
eels," from Iceland. Fongr, a king. Just in the 
same way the finest species of vulture is named 
"king of the vultures," and the beautiful fishing 
bird Alcedo is named the King-Fisher. 

Latin, conger (Pliny, 9, 16). Gr. xoyypog. 

to Bargain. 

Answers exactly to the French marchander, 

and also to barguigner,* which is of unknown 

derivation. I suspect, however, that a merchant 

was anciently called a bargante or barcante, from 

barge or bark. Similar terms are shipper and 

skipper. 

Freckle. 
Swed. frdkne. 

* In old French, bargaigner ; in the lower Latin, barcaniare. 
See Menage. 



117 

Related to Germ, flecken, a spot. 

Heed, 

o 

Heedless is in Swed. haglos, from hag, the 
mind ; and so in English, " heed what I say," 
and " mind what I say," are equivalent. Heed- 
less is in Germ, achtlos, from acht (heed) ; whence 
achten, to mind, to heed, to pay attention to. 
Acht geben, to give heed, or to give one's mind 
to any thing. 

But "to heed" in the sense of "to guard 
against a danger," seems a different word. It 

is the German huten, to guard. " Hute dich /" 
heed thee ! take care ! or take heed ! 

This verb huten is connected with a great 
many words which imply covering, hiding, shel- 
ter or protection. 

to Pine. 

To pine for a thing. 

In one sense of this word it seems related to 
the Greek 7tswolv, to hunger, to long for any thing. 

But to pine is properly to suffer, from the 
Anglo-Sax. pine (pain). 

Milton seems to use it in an intermediate 
sense : — 

" To me, who with eternal famine pine." 



118 

to Long for. 

To long for a thing, is the German ver-langen, 
only that the Germans have put the preposition 
(for or ver) before the verb, instead of after it. 

Was verlangen sief What do you wish for? 

to Stickle. 

To stickle for a thing, appears to me to be 
corrupted from the Latin stipulari (to bargain for 
any thing). According to Ains worth it was the 
office of a stipulator " to see there was no fraud 
on either side." 

This agrees well enough with the meaning 
which Johnson ascribes to u stickler"" on the au- 
thority of Sidney, viz. that of an umpire ; " one 
who stands to judge a combat." 

to Cram. 
Shakspeare says : 

" You cram these words into mine ears." 

Tempest. 

But in another place : 

" Ram thou thy faithful tidings in mine ears 
That long time have been barren." 

To " cram in" and to " ram in" seem nearly 
related words, although usage has established a 
difference between them. 



119 

to Caper. 

To be frolicsome as a kid. 

" Similem ludere caprece." 
Hor. 

Whale. 
Lycophron calls them $aXa* (v. 84). More 
commonly QxxXolivol and balcena. The additional 
syllables appear to me to mean awov, a mon- 
ster. 

Angry. 

From ayypi^siv to irritate. 

ayypi&w, spsSi^siv. — (Hesychius.) 

But what does this verb itself come from ? 

I think from aypiog (asper : savage). 

Aypiow is, to exasperate ; aypiaivw, the same. 

7T(XTp0g [AOfXtpOLHTlV 7)yplO)fJ.£VYj. 

Lycophron, v. 59. 
" Irritated by her father's reproaches." 

Savage. 

French, sauvage; Ital. sehaggio and selvatico ; 

Lat. sylvaticus. 

Derived from sylva, a forest, as aypiog from 

uypog, a field. 

Belike. 

" We think, belike, that he will accept it." 

Hooker. 



120 

" He, belike thinking me remiss, awakens me." 

Shakspeare. 

Belike is the German vielleicht (perhaps). The 
two words agree closely in meaning and usage, 
but the literal translation of vielleicht is " very 
easily? 

I have little doubt that the Germans have 
confused the two roots of similar sound, leicht 
(facile, easy, light), and leich (like, similar); and 
that this has happened owing to leich having be- 
come obsolete in German, and the composite form 
gleich being used instead. The old German had 
both forms, viz. lich and gelich ; the Anglo-Sax. 
lie and gelic ; the Gothic, leik and galeik ; the 
English, like and alike. 

"Belike" comes from the old English "like" 

" He is like to die for hunger, for there is 
no more bread." — Jeremiah, 38, 9. 

" You are like to be much advanced." — Shak- 
speare. 

" I wish that I were dead, but I am na like 
to dee." — Auld Robin Gray. 

Johnson condemns this expression, but with- 
out reason. It is a good and valuable old 
word. 

For "like" we now say "likely? and for 
" belike? " very likely." 



121 

Polite. 

Urbane comes from urbs, a city; civil and 
civilized, from civitas (Ital. citta), a city ; cour- 
teous, from Court ; Germ, lioflich, from hof. 

From the analogy of all these examples we are 
very much tempted to derive polite and polished 
from 7ro7ug, a City. 

On the other hand there seems equally good 
reason to derive them from the Latin polire, to 
polish. 

" La police " certainly comes from iro^g, a city, 
and thence " un peuple police," a civilized people. 
" C'est le premier qui a police les nations du 
Nord." The first who civilized them, or polished 
them, or removed their former roughness and 
rudeness. 

This French verb policer connects the two 
meanings (of iro'Kig and the Latin polio) so closely, 
that it seems to belong to both. 

Finally, I consider this to be an instructive 
example of two ancient words of different mean- 
ings, which have coalesced together, and pro- 
duced a new meaning, which partakes of both. 

Pail. 

A milk-pail is the Greek xeXXa. 
7roTaju,sA§£Ta* sg 3uo wsT^kag. — Theocr. a. 26. 

R 



122 

to Lurk. 

From the Greek ho%og, an ambush ; Ko%£veiu, 

to lie in wait. 

Foal 

From the Greek wayT^og, sl foal. Lat. pullus. 

Filly. 

According to the present usage of the word, it 
would seem to come from the Lat. filia. But it is 
more probably the feminine of foal (the vowel 
being altered as in fox, femin. vixen). Or it may 
be the Germ, fullen (pronounced fillen), a foal. 

N.B. Horse is related to the German Ross. 

Mare to the Celtic, march (equus vel equa). A 

pony may be derived from puny (little). A barb 

means a Barbary horse. A roan, a horse of 

Rouen. 

Spade. 

Nearly the same in other Northern languages. 

In Greek a-waSr). Vide Blomf. (ad Agam, v. 

509). 

Shovel. 

Quasi a-xa(p£^ou, dimin. of a-xa<psiov (a shovel), 

from G-xoL7rT£iu, to dig or excavate. Vid. Blomf. 

ibid. 

Craft. 

Craft, in the sense of shipping, is the modern 



123 

Greek xapafiiov, a ship ; related to Span, cara- 

vela. 

Chaff. 

Chaff, Holl. kaf: from the Greek xap<po$ (chaff), 
which is from xap(pa>, to dry. 

Blade. 

I. 

The blade of an oar, is the Greek fl-AarTj* from 
wT^arvs, broad and flat ; Fr. le plat d une rame. 

II. 

The shoulder-blade; Germ, schulter-blatt, is the 
Greek eojOtoTrXaTTj quasi 7rXaT7j row wftov. 

III. 

The #/aflfe of a sword, from Germ. #^, a leaf. 

This is confirmed by the Span, hoja (sword 
blade, and a? so leaf), and by the word foil, which 
signifies "a blunt sword used in fencing" as well 
as " a leaf." 

Any thing flat and thin was called a " leaf," 
as a leaf 'of paper, feuille de papier, Matt papier, 
gold and silver leaf : metal foil to put behind 
a jewel, &c. 

* Hence the whole oar was called tXuth, and at length 
the name came to signify a ship propelled by oars. Ex. gr. 
TrXaryi Qvyovris ^tirlvyjH nxvicti. — Eurip. 



124 

A certain kind of leaf is called by botanists 
folium gladiatum, or ensiforme, from its resem- 
blance to the blade of a sword. The iris is an 
example of it, and the gladiolus, which thence 
derives its name. 

Muscle. Limpet. 

Muscle, from the Greek pug, or //,ua£. Limpet, 
from "kswag. 

Oyster, ocrrpsou ; and cockle, xo%hr), have the 
same names in Latin also. 

Crumb. 
A crumb, from the Greek xeppa, literally, a 
paring ; metaphorice, res qucems minima. 

TO (f]o{JL £7ri(dv(TOLg XSpfJLOMTlV TCDV p7]T0p(i)V. 

Aristoph. Plut. 379. 
N. B. Perhaps drum comes from §sp[xa, a skin, 
according to the same analogy : viz. a skin 
stretched very tight and elastic. 

Chin. 

Lat. gena ; Gr. yews ; Germ, kinn ; Dan. kind 

(adding a final D, as in skind, skin ; mand, 

man). 

Canvas. 

Canvas of Electors. Perhaps from Fr. Canevas, 



125 

a rough draught : meaning a sketch of the pro- 
bable result of the election. 

Ewer. 

A vessel to hold water. From the old word 
ewe, water, which is the French eau, and. Anglo- 
Sax, ed. 

Raven. 

Nearly the same in the other northern lan- 
guages. The root may be the Danish raab, mean- 
ing (1) a screech, (2) a warning ; both of which 
senses suit remarkably well. For the prophetic 
note of the raven is well known. 

Saepe sinistra cava prsedixit ab ilice comix. 

Virg. 

Modern. 

From Lat. modd, lately. 

To give an instance from the Proceedings of 
the Council (I. 191). In the fourth year of 
King Henry IV. we find Henry III. called Rex 
Henricus modernus, the late King Henry, or the 

last King Henry. 

Bolt 
An arrow, in old English. 

" A fool's bolt is soon shot." 

Proverb. 
Gr. Bohi$, an arrow. 



126 

Osier. 
An Osier is the Greek Oicrua, used by Homer. 

Thrush. Throstle. 

This beautiful songster is named in German 
drossel, which word also signifies the throat.* 
So that the name originally meant " tuneful 
throat." 

Other names of the bird are, Gr. (rlpooSog ; Lat. 
turdus (for trudus) ; Gaelic, trud. 

And other names for the throat are, Anglo- 
Sax, throte ; Holl. strot ; Ital. strozza ; provincial 
German, stross. 

Hence the resemblance between the two classes 
of words is manifest. 

N. B. li/TpouQos also signifies " an Ostrich ;" 
Germ. Strauss. However different this meaning 
may appear at first sight, yet it may possibly 
have originated from the same root. For the 
Ostrich is remarkable for the length of its throat, 
and may therefore have been named " the long- 
throat," " or the long neck." Observe how close- 
ly the two Italian words correspond, strozza, the 
throat ; and struzzo, an ostrich. 

* Thence the verb erdr ossein, to throttle, or strangle. 



127 

The thrush is also a name for a complaint in 
the throat. Johnson derives it from the verb to 
thrust ; but I have little doubt that thrush and 
throat were originally the same word. 

Rag. 
Rag is the Greek pccxog. 

Its root appears to be the verb qyio-gsiv, Germ. 
reissen, to tear, rive, or rend. 

Rain. 
Nearly related to the Greek verb qolivzw. 
e Paw$, a drop of rain. 

AlO(T7)fJLia, '(mi/, XOLl QOLVl$ fisfiXrjXE jU,S. 

Aristoph. A char n. 171. 

Stalk. 
The stalk of a plant or flower is the Greek 
(TTsT^s^og. 

Cruse. 
Cruse is the Greek xpwa-a-og, a pitcher or urn. 
Fr. cruche, Germ. krug. 

" The cruse of oil shall not fail." (1 Kings, 

17. 14.) 

Grape. 

Ital. grappolo. Fr. grappe, a cluster. 

Related also to G. rebe, the vine : and to Ital, 

gruppo, a group or cluster. 



128 

I conjecture that Ribes, the name which Bo- 
tanists have given to the Currant, is taken from 
the German Reben (grapes). For the fruit re- 
sembles a bunch of grapes in miniature, and 
moreover, the little dried grapes, which come to 
us from the Levant, are actually called " currants." 

I consider then that Sir James Smith is not 
correct in his etym. of Ribes in Rees's Cyclopaedia. 
He there says : — 

" Ribes, an Arabian name, properly belonging 

to an acid-leaved species of Rheum (i. e. rhubarb), 

but which botanists, for about two hundred years 

past, have, by mistake, applied to the currant 

family." 

to Feather. 

To feather an oar. Pollux says that the blade 
of an oar was called the lirspov or feather. 

Cousin. 

A word of rather doubtful etymology. It is 
nearly related to the Greek xa<rig and xouriy- 
vtjtos, which often signify a cousin. 

Another tolerable etym. is consanguineus. Con- 
gener and consobrinus are also proposed in Me- 
nage. Indeed, it is probable that the preposi- 
tion co or con is the first part of the word. 

Con has become Cou in constare, couter ; con- 



129 

sutus, cousu ; and many other words. Sang being 
French for blood, the name for "relationship" in 
old French was probably con-sang or cousang, 
answering to the Greek b[xai[xog. Finally, cousang 
may have been softened into cousin. 

Stubborn. 
Related to the Greek ^nfiapog (very strong, 
firm, fast, hard). 

Warm. 
In Persian, Garni. Greek, Qsppog, jEolice, $sp- 
[xog. Old Latin, formus. Which shews how 
uncertain a sound the initial aspirate had. 

Redoubtable. 

Redouter, to fear. To dout means to fear in 
old English. 

" Doutyng the violence of the pestilence."* 

Duck. 

Russia duck ; a sort of cloth. 
Swed. duk (cloth). Germ, tucli. 

Warfare. 
Fare in this word means "an expedition." 

* Proceedings of Council, III. 262. 



130 

To fare (Germ, faliren) is to journey, go, depart, 
set off, pass onward. 

A way-faring man ; a sea-faring life ; a tho- 
rough-fare (i. e. passage through). 

Warfare is the Swedish, harfdrd ; Germ, lieer- 
falirt 

The Swedish language rejects the initial W 
of English words, as 

Worm ... orm Word ... ord 

Wonder ... under Wool ... ull 

According to this analogy, War would be Ar ; and 

we find, in fact, the word Heir, an army, Harskri, 

a War-cry. 

The Greek Apyg, god of War, seems to have 
been a personification of War itself. (Har. Ar. 
Ares.) 

Specie. 

Circulating money : gold and silver coin. 

I do not think this has any thing to do with 
the Latin species, although Johnson refers it to 
that word without explaining his reasons for so 
doing. 

I rather think it comes from a Latin word of 
the middle ages, Pecie (pieces) ; meaning gold 
and silver coined into Pieces of regular form 
and size, and not in the state of bars or in- 
gots. 



131 

Pezzi (pieces) is the modern name for dol- 
lars at Naples. Pieces of eight are a coin of- 
ten mentioned by old authors. 

Prior speaks of " eight hundred pieces" as 
given by Louis XIV. to Boileau. But we now 
say " pieces of money." 

To give an example of the word Pecie : we 
find in the Kalendars of the Excequer (1. 137): 
" Octo pecie cuneorum pro moneta facienda, et 
sex pecie ponderum de plumbo." 

Odd. 

The word odd is sometimes used in rather a 
peculiar sense ; as for instance : 

" He owes me twenty pounds, odd shillings." 
Now supposing those shillings are an even num- 
ber, as two, four, or six ; how is the phrase to 
be accounted for ? 

Perhaps the following passage taken from the 
Proceedings of the Council (vol. IV. p. 150), 
may throw some light upon the subject. It is 
old English, of the year 1433. It seems that 
Lord Hungerford had to pay six thousand pieces 
of money to the Lord of Beaumanoir. He had 
paid him five thousand, and the document con- 
tinues thus : 



132 

" So that nowe of all thees sommes there 

resteth not to paye but a thousand 

the seid Lord Beaumanoir, for lak of paiement 
of this Od thousand witholdeth, &c. &c." 

In this passage it is probable that " this Od 
thousand" means " this Other thousand." 

Mustard. 

The common derivation is from Mustum (new 
wine) and Ardor (heat). 

But although this opinion is supported, accord- 
ing to Menage, by "la plupart des Doctes" in- 
cluding Scaliger, I cannot think it at all likely 
or reasonable. 

In my opinion the word Mustard comes from 
the Spanish Mastuerzo, which, when carelessly 
pronounced, would become Mastorto, or Mastort.* 
Now Mastuerzo is corrupted from the Latin Nas- 
turtium. 

Nasturtium — Masturtium — Mastuerzo. The 
change of the initial letter N into M is cer- 
tainly unusual and remarkable ; but in the note 

* For tje in Spanish words answers to o in other languages ; 
as puente, puerco, puerta, corresponding to ponte, porco, 
porta, in Italian. And Z often answers to T in Latin ; as 
pobreza, paupertas ; cabeza, caput. 



133 

I have given another instance of a similar 
change.* 

The Mastuerzo or Nasturtium,! is a plant 
nearly akin to Mustard. They both belong to 
the Cruciferous family, and to the same section of 
it. Indeed, I rather think that all Cruciferous 
plants of hot biting qualities were comprehended 
by the Latins under the general name of Nas- 
turtium. 

It remains to consider, what is the etymology 
of the word Nasturtium itself. 

Varro says it is " quasi Nasi-tortium, quod 
nasum torqueat" This shews that his Nasturtium 
was either Mustard, or some plant w T hich power- 
fully affects the nose, as mustard does. And so 
Pliny : " Nasturtium nomen accepit a narium 
tormentor And the author of the Moretum: 
" Quseque trahunt acri vultus nasturtia morsu." 

I think Varro is right enough in deriving the 
first part of the name from nasus, the nose ; but 



* From Latin Mespilus comes Italian Nespolo, and French 
Ntflier, the Medlar tree. 

f Sisymbrium Nasturtium of Linnaeus. The plant now 
commonly called Nasturtium (Tropceolum of Linnaeus) is very 
different, and of Peruvian origin. It obtained its present name 
from the hot, biting taste of its flower being somewhat similar 
to the Nasturtium. 



134 

the last part of it is, perhaps, nothing more than 
the Teutonic or Northern syllable wort, signifying 
pla?it. So that Nasturtium may be a word of 
Northern origin, meaning Nose-wort. It must be 
allowed that mustard could hardly be called by 
a more descriptive name.* 

SkL ite. ite. jfc 2k> , jfe Jfc J& 

>Jv TjT TJv 7J7 7XC T^T *lv 7JT 

It will further confirm the above, to inquire 
what is the origin of the Latin word for mustard, 
viz. Sinapi. 

Sinapi is in German Senf; and a little consi- 
deration will shew that it is a word of the same 
origin with Snuff; a vegetable production which 
resembles it in powerfully stimulating the nose. 

Sinapi seems to have been originally pronounced 
Snapi or Snapy (i. e. Nose-wort), from an old 
word signifying the nose. (Vide next article.) 

Snuff. 

There seems little doubt that Snef was a very 
ancient word for the nose; from which there are 
found a great number of derived terms still ex- 
isting in modern languages. The following are 
some of these in English. 



* It is possible, notwithstanding, that Varro's etymology; 
Nas-tort, may be the true one. 



135 

To sniff. 

To snuff; i.e. to scent or smell. 

A moment gazed adown the dale, 
A moment snuffed the tainted gale. 

W. Scott. 

To snub. Germ, sehnupfen. 
A snaffle bridle. 
And in German, schnabel, the beak. Swed. 
snabel 

Snuff is in Germ, schnupf-tabak. 

to Sniff the Candle. 

Many kinds of prominent objects have been 
likened to the nose ; * among these is the wick 
of a candle, as will appear from the following 
comparisons. 

Fr. moucher le nez, moucher la chandelle. 

Lat. mucus. 

Ital. moccolo, (1) snuff of a candle, (2) tip of 
the nose. Smoccolare, to snuff the candle. 

Germ. Schnupftuch, (mouchoir); schnuppe, snuff 
of a candle. 

Greek, ju,u§a, (1) wick of a lamp, (2) mucus. 
Related to jauaffyp, nasus ; and to jaux7j£ ? fungus, 



* For instance, capes and promontories are so called (Cape 
Blanc-nez, Gris-nez, Dungeness, Orford-ness, Dun-nose, &c.) 



136 

(etiam fungus ellychnii), and to mucedo, mucor, 
&c. 

Snipe. 

The name of this bird signifies "long nose," 
or " long bill." The bill of a bird is in Lower 
Saxon, snippe, snibhe, or nibbe. 

In Dutch, sneb or neb. 

In Anglo-Saxon, neb; in Icelandic, nebbi. 

And the old Gauls called it nebbe, according 
to Pliny * 

to Nibble. 

To peck at; to eat small morsels of. 
From Nibbe, the beak or mouth. (Vide the 
preceding article.) 

Nib. 

Nib of a pen, means its prominent part, beak, 
or nose. Anglo-Sax. neb ; Dan. neb ; Swed. ndbb : 
mean the nose, the beak. 

to Snap. 
To Snap, in the sense of "to bite," "to catch 
suddenly," may be from an old word snap, mean- 
ing mouth or beak. Germ, schnabel ; Swed. 
snabel ; Dutch, sneb, &c. 

* Quoted by Bosworth in his Anglo-Saxon Dictionary. 



137 

to Snip. 

To cut with scissors. 

Cutting with a knife is not so termed, be- 
cause there only one blade is used ; the opening 
and shutting of scissors being in action something 
like the bill of a bird (anciently named snip and 
snippe, vide the preceding articles), it seems the 
verb is thence derived. 

To Nip seems a nearly related verb. 

Man in the Moon. 

The Lunar disk offers a mottled surface to 
the naked eye, in which no particular form can 
be discerned, yet popular tradition has agreed 
to recognize in it the figure of a Man. 

But since there is no real resemblance, even 
in a slight degree, to such a figure, what is 
the cause of so general an agreement in this 
tradition ? 

In my opinion there is a very simple rea- 
son for it ; it arose, I think, at first from 
nothing else than the great similarity between 
the two words which express " a man " and 
"the moon" in almost all the northern languages, 
as will appear very manifest from the following 
table. 



138 



Man. 

Holl man. 

Germ. ... maim. 

Dan mand. 

A. Sax.... man, mon. 

Scot mon. 

In Suabia, ma. 



Moon. 

Old Germ... man. 

A. Sax mona. 

Holl maan. 

Dan maane. 

Icel mani. 

Swed mane. 

Germ mond. 

Greek V-Wl* /*ava 

(Dor.) 

In Suabia... mo. 

Persian mah. 

No correspondence between two words can be 
closer. Now, this great similarity must have 
occasionally caused confusion, especially when 
two persons were conversing who spoke different 
dialects ; and the two ideas of " the man " and 
" the moon, " at first accidentally brought to- 
gether, were afterwards permanently combined in 
nursery legends and popular superstition. 

Among Hebel's poems* is a pretty little bal- 
lad in the Suabian dialect, on this subject : — 

Lueg, Miietterli, was isch im Mo? 
He, siehschs denn nit, e Ma ! 
Jo wegerli, i sieh ne scho. 
Er het e Tschopli a. 



* Allemannische Gedichte, p. 79, 



139 

Was tribt er denn die ganzi Nacht, 
Er riiehret jo kei Glied ? 
&c. &c. &c. 

Lunatic. 

Is there any real foundation for the popular 
opinion which attributes to the Moon an influence 
over madness ? 

If not, then what can be the origin of so 
remarkable a belief? May it not have had at 
first some merely verbal, or other quite fanciful 
origin ? 

The following suggests itself to me as being 
at least a possible solution. 

A Lunatic is in Greek Gs^uiaxos, (rs^rjvo^r}rog, 
&c. from o-sXtjvtj, the moon; and a Maniac is 
fjLOLVixog, from jotav/a, mania, madness. Now the 
word Mania and the verb paivso-Qai have no 
very certain etymology, and may be considered 
as primitive. And it appears to me possible that 
the Greeks may have fancifully connected them 
in their notions with the word of similar sound 
Mana, the moon, otherwise Mtjvtj. 

Man. 

Often used in the sense of " servant :" ex. gr. 
" Like master, like man" &c. 

And so in Icelandic, man signifies a servant, 



140 

and what is of more importance, Mavr\g signifies 
the same in Greek. 

The origin of that word has baffled the etymo- 
logists : — but it is not at all improbable that the 
Greeks borrowed it from their northern neighbours. 

In Anglo-Saxon we find " His man wses" — ejus 
servus erat. And homage is derived from the 
phrase " devenit homo suus," i. e. vassallus, 
servus.* 

Mark. 

From German margel, the syllable ge being sup- 
pressed, as in \oge\,fowl; ziegel, tile ; hiigel, hill. 

Margel is probably the Latin argilla with an 
M prefixed, which occurs also in some other 
words, as jaao-^aXTj, axilla. 

The French say marne for marie. 

Island. 

Now pronounced Hand, and probably it was 
always so pronounced. I doubt if the S was 
ever sounded. It has evidently been placed in 
the word to make it correspond with Isle, which 



* I cannot help thinking that the Germ, dienen, to serve; 
diener, a servant ; old Engl, theyne is related to the Welsh dyn, 
Breton, den, a man. Especially since in old French spoken at 
Paris, deen was a servant, which now means a man in Breton 
(dialect of Vannes). 



141 

is derived from the Latin insula. (Insula, isola, 
isle.) 

An island was called in old German, Einlant* 
i. e. solitary land, from Ein, one, or alone. 

Now in many words we omit the German final 
N, as in mein, my ; dein, thy, &c. 

And, according to the same analogy, Einlant 
should become Yland. 

The word eiland is still used in German. Some 
derive it from Ei (insula). But it is possible 
that the latter word is only an abbreviation of 
the former, in which case the etymology falls to 
the ground. 

N. B. The Anglo-Sax. ealand may mean " land 
surrounded by water," from Ea, water. It seems 
a different word from eiland, though the meaning 
is the same. 

Income. Rent. 

The In-Come is so called in German also, viz. 
Einkommen. 

And so Revenue from the verb revenir: Reditus 
(rent) from redire, to return: wporro&os (income), 
&c. 

But a very singular confusion exists between 

* Ex. gr. from an old German sermon of the 14th century, 
about St. John : — " Do hiez in der keiser versenden in ein 
einlant, daz hiez Fathmos." 



142 

redire, to return, i. e. come back; and redder e, 
to return, i. e. give back. Rent is derived from 
both of these verbs, which have long ago coalesced 
into one meaning. 

Dimity. 
Johnson gives no derivation of this word. It 
is the same in German, dimiti. Passow, how- 
ever, informs us that it is the Greek Ai^irog, 
a sort of cotton stuff, meaning literally double 
thread, from Mirog, thread, which is an ancient 
word, and even found in Homer. 

Barons of the Exchequer. 

Perhaps were not called Barons in the usual 
sense of that word. 

Is it not the old Gallic and Celtic word Barnor 
or Barner, a Judge : Barn, judgment ; whence 
the verb Bamu, to judge, &c. &c. 

Would that ! 

Woidd that it were so ! Would that these 
things might happen! Abbreviated from "would 
God thatr 

Johnson says that the expression, " would to 
God!" came from this phrase ill understood. 

But I think that " would to God !" is simply 
the German " wollte Gott !" and that the final 



143 

syllable te in that word has been carelessly 
changed into the English preposition to. 

Cider. 

From Ital. sidro ; Gr. and Lat. sicera, cixspa,. 

(Johns, and others.) 
This etymology seems to be correct. In 
Bretagne the word is sistr ; ex. gr. evo sistr dous, 
to drink sweet cider. In Anjou it is called citre, 
according to Menage, who also quotes the follow- 
ing from Isidore, lib. 20, cap. 3 : 

Sicera ex succo frumenti vel pomorum 

conficitur. 

In St. Luke 1. 15, oiuou xai cixspa ou \Kf\ Ttir\, 
is translated, " He shall drink neither wine nor 
strong drink." 

Brandy. 

From Germ. Branntwein, not, I think, in the 
sense of burnt wine, as said by Johnson and 
others, but of burning wine, i. e. burning the 
mouth and throat. For in Bretagne it has that 
name, viz. gwin-ar-tan, or wine of fire. I think 
the more ancient German name may have been 
brandwein, from brand, fire. 

Whisky. Usquebaugh. 
Usquebaugh is the Gaelic and Irish Uisge-beatha, 



144 

a literal translation of Aqua vitce, or Eau de vie, 
from Uisge, water, and Beatha, life. 

Whisky is Uisge, the first part of the above 
word, the remainder being omitted for the sake 
of shortness. Consequently, whisky properly means 
water, which is curious enough. 

Shrub. Punch. 

Shrub is the oriental word shrab or sherab, a 
sort of wine or liquor. Sherbet is derived from 
the same root. 

" Punch is an Indian word expressing the number 
of ingredients." (Fryer, quoted in Johnson's Dic- 
tionary.) But he omits to mention what that 
number is: it may be as well therefore to remark 
that punj signifies five. 

Tresses. 

This word may probably be related to the 
Greek Tpi%es, Hair. The following remark may 
render the truth of this etymology more evident. 

A tress, in Italian treccia; whence the adjective 
intrecciato, twisted, tangled, intricate ; Latin, in- 
tricatus (used by Plautus). 

Intrigue. Plot. 
An Intrigue, Italian intrigo, means a tangled 



145 

plot, something difficult to unravel or discover, 
and comes from the adjective intricatus.* 

Just in the same way, a plot (French complot) 
is derived from the verb to plait or twist together. 

Similar forms of expression are, dolos nectere, 
retia nectere, &c. (ew. gr. Undique regi dolus 
nectitur. — Li v.) 

7rXsK£iv Koyoug, ju,o9ou£, ^^oluol§, &c. SoXoppoLtprjS, 
8oXo7tAoho£, &c. ex. gr. 

7TGLI AlOg 8oX07T/\.OX£, \l<r(TO[JLOU C£. 

Sappho to Venus. 

Similarly, Dolos suere : SoKov purrs iv : QavoLrov, 
popov, pcnrrsiv rivi. ex. gr. 

Mapye, Tit} 8s <ru TTjXe^aa^o) Qauarou rs fxopov re 

Homer. 

Bean. 

A Bean is the Greek Uvolvov, pronounced pyan 
or pean. This word is supposed to be a dialectic 
variation of Kua[xog. 

Bart. 

Fr. Bard; Anglo-Sax. Barrath ; Icelandic, 
Borr, a spear ; Gr. Aopu, or rather Aopar. 

* Some have absurdly derived it from treve, a truce. 
U 



146 

Canoe. 
Fr. Canot; Germ. Kahn; meant originally the 
trunk of a tree hollowed out ; the first rude 
attempt at navigation. From the same root 
comes the adj. VLsvog, hollow, and Carina, a reed 
or cane, so named from its hollow stem. 

Canal. Channel. 

These words primitively meant a pipe or tube 
to conduct water : a conduit or aqueduct. Thence 
any narrow stream of water, although not inclosed 
in a tube. 

From Carina, which in Italian signifies any 
tube, as a gun-barrel, an organ pipe. Cannella, 
dimin. a waterpipe, whence our word Channel. 
Cannone, a cannon : literally, a Great Tube. 
Cannocchiale, a telescope : literally, an eye tube. 

Canon. Canonical. 

From the Greek Kauwu, a rule. 

Most persons would say that the resemblance 
between the words Canon and Camion was wholly 
fortuitous and accidental ; and that they really 
had no connexion whatever. But they would be 
mistaken, and it is curious to observe how many 
various things were first named from simple na- 
tural objects. The Reed, or Canna, is remarkable 



147 

for two qualities, viz. its straightness and its 
tubular stem. 

By reason of its straightness it was universally 
adopted for the purpose of measuring distances. 
Hence the Greek Kavwv, and the Hebrew Canah 
or Cana, meaning both a reed and a .measure of 
length.* While on account of its tubular stem 
(see last article) it gave its name to all manner 
of pipes and tubes, and among the rest, to the 
Cannon, or great tube (Cannone) of the Italians. 

Ship. Skiff. 
Same with the Greek (rxafyog, <rx<x<pr), g-xolQis, 
o-xoKpiov, &c. All these words are derived from 
an ancient Latin or Italian verb scavare, to 
hollow out, which comes from the adjective cavus, 
hollow. The first boats were trunks of trees 
hollowed or scooped out: see the article Canoe 

supra. 

Cup. 

This may have had the same name in ancient 
Greek, viz. Kwrog, whence we still find the di- 
minutive K-uweXhov. 

Kv[A&r] has the same meaning (a cup or drink- 



* Pertica mensoria, vel sex ulnarum mensura. 

Gesen. Hebr. Lex. p. 895. 



148 

ing vessel) ; whereas the Latin Cymba is a boat, 
which shews the connexion between the two 
classes of ideas. And we ourselves use the same 
word {vessel) to express both of them. 

'Zxutpog, otherwise Kufyog (Lat. Scyphus), is the 
same word as Cup. And the verb to Scoop is 
closely related. 

To which may be added the verbs scavare and 
(rxa7rrsiv, to excavate. 

Dyke. 

Related to the Greek Tei%og, a fortification 
or wall; and Toi^og, a wall. 

The dykes of Holland, to resist the encroach- 
ments of the sea, may represent to us the 
ancient Tsi%sa. The earliest kind of fortifica- 
tions were probably mere earthen mounds or 
ramparts : agger a of the Latins, (ab agger endo 

terram). 

Axe. Hatchet. 

One of these words is a diminutive of the other. 

Afiwj, Lat. ascia, Fr. haclie. 

Ital. accetta, Fr. hachette. 

To hash, Fr. hacher, comes from the above. 

to Flay. 
To strip off the skin. Related perhaps to the 



149 

Greek <&Koiog, bark; and <f>Aoo£, <pAou$, the human 
skin, and the skin of snakes. 

Roof. 
Roof is the Greek Opo<pos, Anglo-Sax. Hrofe, 
where the aspirate takes the place of the short 
vowel in the Greek word. 

Path. 

A Path is the Greek Uarog ; 

ttcltov avSpa)7ra)v aT^ssivwu (Horn.), avoiding the 

path of men. 

to Climb. 

Germ. Mimmen. Related to the Greek K?u^,a§, 
a ladder, or flight of steps. 

Wool. 

Wool, in Swedish, Ull, is the Greek OuKog, 

as in ouAoxap7ji/o£, having woolly or curly hair, 

Horn. Od. r. 246. 

Task. 

Task, Fr. tdche, formerly tasche. 
From the Greek Tagig, a command or ordi- 
nance. 

Tax. 

Ital. tassa, a tax : tassazione, taxation. From 



150 

the Greek Tao-o-eiv, ra^ig. *H ra^ig rou (popou, 
the imposition of a tribute. 

Stump. 

A Stump is related to the Greek Xru7rog, which 
has nearly the same meaning. And also to the 
German stump/, obtuse; as, stumpf abgebrochen, 
broken short off. 

Crop. 

To Crop is to cut off the ends of any thing: 
to mow : to reap : to lop. — (Johnson.) 

No more, my goats, shall I behold you climb 
The steepy cliffs, or crop the flow'ry thyme. 

Dry den. 

From the Latin carpo ; decerpo ; as carpere 
poma — herbas — decerpere uvas — flores — fructus — 
folia — pabula — olivas, &c. 

The crop is the harvest ; the corn gathered. 
(Johns.) Also gathered fruits, or other produce 
of the soil. It is nearly related to the Greek 
Kap7ro£, fruit. Kap7rog apoupr\g, (Horn.) the crop 
of the field : the corn harvest. 

Dish. 
From the Greek Aurxog, a round plate. Plates 



151 

and dishes appear to have been made of a cir- 
cular form from the most ancient times. 

This is the primitive meaning of Aicrxog. It 
afterwards came to mean " any thing flat and 
circular;" as a quoit, a disc, the disc of the sun. 
So in Persian the same word (Kdsah) signifies 
a round dish, cup, saucer, &c. and also the disc 
of the sun or moon.* 

A very curious derivative from Aia-xog is the 
German word Tisch, a table. This meaning is 
connected with the other by the verb auftischen, 
Anglice, to dish up dinner or to place it on the 
table. 

Tisch is properly a dinner-table. 

Zu tisch seyn, to be at dinner. 

The German Tisch is Disc in Anglo-Saxon, 
which is identical with Aitrxog. 

We find in Swedish the plural, diskar, dishes. 

Desk. 

A Desk appears to be a slight alteration of 
the A.-Saxon word Disc, a table. Italian desco, 
a table. Danish disk, a desk or table. 



* The word tasht in the same language possesses the same 
two meanings. 



152 

Oven, 
Oven, Germ, Ofen. In Greek lwvog. 
Etti rov nrvov aproug e7Ti$0LKh£W, to put bread 
in the oven. (Herodot.) 

l7rvog is also a stove for heating an apart- 
ment. But this is also called Ofen by the Ger- 
mans. 

Court. 

In Greek Xoprog. This seems a very ancient 
European word for the enclosed area immediately 
surrounding a building. 

II. X. 773. Peleus sacrifices to Jupiter in the 
Court of his house. 

yepcov ft \inrr\hoLTOL UrjTieug 
H/ova [ur\pi sttTje fioog An Tsp7rixEpa,uva) 
AuTiYjg ev %opT(a. 

Again, 

AuAtj£ sv yoproHTi. II. CO. 640. 

The word answers to Cohors, cohortis in Latin, 

as Aves cohortales, Poultry domesticated in the 

court-yard. 

Apple. 

An Apple is the Greek Awiov (for Ajt'Kov). 

As plumbum It. piombo : placet, place : plenus, 
pieno : and many similar words, so AttXov became 
Antov. It is probably a northern word. 



153 

Ram. 
A Ram is the Greek Ptjv; which is probably 
related to app>jv, masculus. 

Standard. 
A military banner. Fr. etendard, anciently 
estendart. Ital. stendardo and stendale. 

No doubt from stendere to unfurl, extend. 

Stingy. 

This word seems related to the Greek 2tsvo£ 
or %tsivo$, narrow, confined, straitened. 

Near (i. e. narrow) is an old English expression 
for avaricious- A near man. 

Latin; in angustiis esse, to be in straits, to be 
straitened for want of anything. Ital. stretto, 
narrow : covetous, stingy. 

Strait. Straight. Strict. 

The Straits of Dover ; the Straits of Magellan ; 
i. e. narrow channel ; from Fr. estroit (now etroit) ; 
Ital. stretto. 

Straight (i. e. rectus, droit, the contrary of 
crookedness) may have been a different word 
originally. But the senses are now confounded 
and mixed together. 

Strict comes from the Latin stringo. The 

x 



154 

leading idea of stringo is, to bind tightly with 
a cord or string; to constrain or restrain. And 
indeed the Northern word String is probably the 
root whence Stringo is derived. At any rate 
they are words of cognate origin. 

Moreover, a string becomes straight when 
stretched or strained. 

And strait implies narrow, confined, constrained 
from want of room ; in short, restricted : which 
shews its analogy to strict. For, strictness is 
tightness, constraint, want of freedom. 

To a certain extent, therefore, both the words 
strait and straight are connected with each other, 
and with the notion of a cord or string : but 
the former metaphor is when the string is used 
to bind and confine a thing; the latter, when it 
is stretched out into a straight line. 

All the European languages abound in terms 
connected with these, and as it would be im- 
possible to collect them all, I will here set down 
a few only, and leave them to the consideration 
of etymologists. 

I enjoined him straightly — I enjoined him 
strictly = I gave him stringent orders (i. e. very 
binding). 

To Strain is to tighten by pulling. Thus Bacon 
says " a bigger string more strained and a lesser 



155 

string less strained may fall into the same tone." 
Hence apparently a Strain came to signify a 
musical sound, melody, or song. Especially as 
the word Time is similarly derived from Tovog 
and tsiusiv, to stretch a string. To tune an 
instrument, and to strain the strings, was the 
same, and therefore naturally a tune was called 
a strain. In short, Tune is the Greek term, 
Strain the English translation of it. 

Now since a string when strained or pulled 
strongly, becomes straight, this is one reason 
(and perhaps the principal reason) why the 
ideas of force and straightness are so intimately 
combined in most languages. (See a previous 
article, p. 65.) Indeed strength and strenuus are 
derived from the same root as straight, and are 
sometimes used almost indiscriminately. Thus, 
for instance, we may either say, " He enjoined 
me strongly? or " he enjoined me straightty." 
The latter form is rather antiquated. 

To strain. To constrain: constraint. To restrain: 
restraint. Ital. ristretto {restricted or stinted). But 
ristretto is also a brief abstract (from trahere). 
In ristretto signifies " in short." 

To distrain for rent, distringere. Compare 
distrahere, to carry off, carry away. To put in 
a distress : a distress warrant, 



156 

Stress is force, exertion of strength. "To lay 
much stress on a thing." 

"The machinery was exposed to a heavy strain: 
was much strained: overstrained? 

Great distress of mind : distraction. " He was 
like one distracted or distraught." 

Ital. Strettezza* (distress, want, narrowness). 
Stretto (straits, i. e. narrow place : distress, 
trouble). 

These examples I think sufficiently shew that 
the Latin words stringere, to bind or tighten, 
and 'strahere to pull, draw, &c. which is only a 
form of trailer e, have been confused. And this 
remark enables us to give a satisfactory and clear 
explanation of the contradictory meanings of the 
Latin adjective strictus. 

Gladius strictus^ a drawn sword, from 'strahere, 
to draw, pull out. 

Folia strieta (Csesar), leaves pulled off from 
trees. 



* Compare Tristitia with Strettezza, and Tristis with. dis-Trest 
or distressed. The etymology of tristis is unknown, but I think 
it belongs to this family of words. 

t In Facciolati the phrase strictus ensis is explained strictd 
manu prehensus, i. e. grasped in the hand. But this no doubt 
is erroneous ; for how does it express that the sword is drawn 
from the scabbard ? 



157 

Stridor, a gatherer of fruit. — (Cato. R. R.) 
Stridivus, gathered by the hand. — (id.) 

Quernas glandes turn string ere tempus. 

Virg. 

bovemque 

Disjunctum curas, et strictis frondibus exples. 

Hor. 

These are all from the same verb 'strahere, to 
pull off. Thus, taking 'strahere in the sense of 
ewtrahere, we have Gladius extradus, 'stradus, 
stridus. 

Or, taking it in the sense of distrahere, we 
have Folia distrada, 'strada, strida. 

On the other hand, stridus signifies narrow, 
and answers to our word strait or straight in that 
sense, ex. gr. 

Artis stridissima janua nostra?. — Ov. 
Breviter stridimque dicere. — To say briefly. 

Cic. 
Res gestas populi R. stridim perscribere. 

Sail. 

Stridim in this sense, is quasi restridim — in a 
restrided way, or briefly. 

It may be worth while to inquire how stringere 
and perstringere came to mean, to inflict a slight 
wound, to graze the skin — ex. gr. in Statius : 



158 

Qualis setigeram Lucana cuspide frontem 
Strictus aper, penitus cui non infossa cerebro 
Vulnera. 

In the first place it may be observed that 
strictim signifies superficially, as in the passages 
above quoted and the following : Librum strictim 
attingere, (Cic.) to look at a book cursorily, 
superficially. Hunc locum difficillimum cursim 
atque strictim transgressus est. (Gell.) 

Hence stringere came to mean nearly the same 
as radere, to shave or scrape or touch super- 
ficially; whence the derived word strigil, an 
instrument for scraping the skin. 

Stringere cautes, is the same as radere cautes, 
to pass close to the rocks — almost to touch 
them. 

Hinc altas cautes projectaque saxa Pachyni 

Radimus 

Litus ama, et laevas string at sine palmula cautes. 

Virg. 

Strong. 

Related to stringere, to strain, &c. vide the last 
article. Also, to the Latin strenuus. Strenge in 
German signifies rigid, strict, severe. 

Strap. 

A strap or strop is the Latin strupus. (See 
Livy.) 



159 

Vitmvius has refined the word into Strophus, 
as if it came from the Greek rrlpofyoy. Perhaps 
he may be right : Homer has 

sv Ss <rlf)o<pos r\sv aoprrjp. 
And Herodotus, 4. 60. crwaa-ag ttjv ap^rjv tou 
alpofyou, pulling the end of the rope. , 

to Tow. to Tug. 

From the German Tau, a cable; Swed. tog 
or tag. This comes from the Gothic tiuhan 
(Anglo -Sax. teohhian), to pull, or tug : related to 
the Latin duco. 

The modern German Ziehen would scarcely be 
supposed related to ducere, but is easily proved 
to be so. Er Ziehen is to educate : zug is a 
march : Herzog, literally " leader of the expe- 
dition or army," is the Latin Duw, whence the 
title of Duke, &c. 

Down. 

The Sussex Downs, &c. In French, les 

dunes: whence Dunkirk takes its name (the 

church on the Downs). From Anglo-Sax. dun, 

a hill. In Gaelic also, dun means a hill. 

Down. Downwards. Adown. 

I find the following in Armstrong's Gaelic 
Dictionary : — 



160 

" It is most worthy of remark, that in all lan- 
guages dun signifies height." 

The little word down, however, comes most 
unluckily to contradict this proposition. The 
learned editor of Home Tooke's work contends 
(p. xxiii) that down and downwards really come 
from the Anglo-Sax. dun, a hill. He compares 
the Anglo-Sax. phrase of dune (downward) with 
the German berg-ab. 

To feallanne of-dune — to fall down. 

Minshew, Junius, and Skinner derive the word 
from the Greek Auveiv, to descend: ex. gr. Suvoli 
$o[aov A'tiog eia-co. But this etym. is also exposed 
to numerous objections. 

Town. 

Gaelic Dim, a hill — a fortified hill — a fortress. 

Hence the names of cities, Noviodunum (q. d. 
Newtown : Newton) : August odunum, now Autun : 
Lugdunum, Lyons: &c. And in England, London, 
Huntingdon, Farringcforc, &c. together with names 
ending in ton innumerable. 

But according to this etymology, a town must 
have been originally rather an Axpo7roXK than a 
floXi?. 

In Scotland the term Dun precedes the name, 
as Dun-edin (or Edinburgh), Dunkeld, Dunstaff- 
nage, Dunrobin, Dumbarton, Dumblane. 



161 

Considering that dun meant both a fortress 
and a mountain, it seems not impossible that the 
German words burg, a fortress, and berg, a moun- 
tain, may have originally been the same, or at 
least, that there may be some connexion between 
them. 

Barrow. 

The downs of Wiltshire are covered with 
barrows (hillocks, tumuli). This word comes from 
the German berg, a hill, just as borough or 
bord does from burg, a town. The mountain 
Ingleborough in Yorkshire ought to be written 
Inglebarrow. Berkshire may perhaps take its 
name from the ancient barrows or bergs on its 
surface.* 

A barrow for carrying or transporting things, 
comes from the verb to bear, and is related 
to the Italian substantive bara. It would have 
been better perhaps to have spelt it barra than 
barrow, as it has nothing to do with the latter 
word. 



* The etym. of Berkshire given in Bosworth's Anglo-Sax. 
Dictionary appears to me rather improbable, viz. — The bare 
oak shire, so called from a polled oak in Windsor Forest 
where the public meetings were held. 



162 

Methinks. 

This corresponds in form of expression to the 
Greek [xoi Soxsi. Aoxsw properly means " to 
think" simply; as 

Acopurfisv 8' s^scrri, §oxa), roig Acopiss(r(nv — The 
Dorians may be allowed to speak Doric, / think. 
—(TheocriL) 

hoXSCt) Vl7ir}(T£[AEV 'JLxTOpOL hlOV / tlllllk I shall 

conquer Hector. — {Horn.) 

Flush. 
Two surfaces are said by carpenters to be flush 
when they are on the same level, or in the 
same plane. It is the German flach (flat, plane), 
whence fl'dche, a flat surface, a plain. 

Plat* Plot 

A grass-plat. A* small plot of ground, &c. 

Properly a level surface. French, plat (flat), 
Germ, platt. Related also to G. platz (place), 
and to the Gr. TXarug, and Lat. platea. I con- 
sider Thomson to be quite in error in de- 
ducing from hence the Fr. complot (conspi- 

* I will requite thee in this plat, saith the Lord. 

2 Kings ix. 26. 



163 

racy, plot), which is related to the Greek verb 

Lawn. 

Lawn also signifies a level surface, from Sp. 
Llano, a plain. Lawn was formerly written 
Laund, and is the same word as Land, which at 
first meant only a level plain. 

Lard. 

Lat. laridam, lardum ; which seems an adjective 
formed from an ancient word lar : and this is 
confirmed by the Greek Kapivog, pinguis. 

We cannot admit the etymology of Macrobius, 
quasi large aridum. It is most probably derived 
from the Greek "Kdpog, well-tasted, a dainty, or 
delicacy: a word frequently employed by Ho- 
mer. 

Beans and bacon are a pretty ancient dish, 

" Et pallens faba cum rubente lardo." 

Martial. 

to Graze. 

To graze the skin, or wound very slightly. 
Probably from the Greek ypafyeiv, which is 
used in that sense, ex gr. 

ypa-tysv Ss ol (xrlsov a^pig 

Emypaffiriu jQaXe %eipo$. — Horn, 



164 

Another etym. may however be given of the 
verb to graze, viz. that it is the French raser, 
Lat. radere. 

Ready. 

Nearly related to the Greek pahog (easy, ready). 

"To hold the pen of a ready writer," is pafocog 

ypaQsiv, to write easily. A ready method is an 

easy method. 

Rather. 

Related to the Greek pa'irspog, easier, or 

readier, ex gr. " I do so the rather," i. e. the 

more readily. 

Label. 

A Label: in old French, lambel ; the same as 
lambeau, a shred, rag, strip cut off, &c. Is not 
this related to one of Plautus's old words, 
lamberare, to tear in pieces? This etym. is given 
by Menage. 

Devonshire. 

The inhabitants were anciently called Damnonii, 

or Dumnonii. Devon answers to Demn, exactly 

as the Welsh Avon (a river) to the Latin 

Amnis. 

St. Crispin. 

St. Crispin or Crepin is the patron saint of 
shoemakers. For what reason ? For a very 



165 

simple one. Because Kprj7rig is the Greek for a 
shoe.* 

Therefore they naturally made choice of St. 
Crepin for their protector. 

Such punning allusions were formerly exceed- 
ingly in fashion. 

Spare, to Spare. 

A spare diet. Very sparing of his money. 

Hence the Italian ri-sparmiare. Fr. epargner, 
formerly espargner. It is also related to the 
Greek (nrapvog, ex. gr. (nrapuag 7raprj^sig. iEsch. 
Ag. 539. And also more remotely to <nroLvog, 
(nraviog rare, scarce, poor, &c. 

To spare is also to pity and save, as, Spare 
our lives ! Spare us, good Lord ! The con- 
nexion between this sense and the preceding is 
best illustrated by the word to save. Thus, a saving 
man : he hoards all his savings — is one sense. 
Save our lives ! — is the other. 

Penury. 

Lat. penuria is the Greek irevia., poverty. This 
latter word seems closely related to <nravia, want, 



* In Latin, crepida, whence the well-known proverb "ne 
sutor ultra crepidam." 



166 

scarcity. Penuria seems formed like luxuria from 
luxus. It is also related to IIsjjoj, hunger. 

to Scatter, 

Anglo-Sax. Scateran. It has been said that 
this root is not found in other languages, but 
surely this is a mistake: see the following articles. 

Scarce. 

Ital. scar so, and scarsita, scarcity. 

Scarce signifies few or rare ; and rare is equiva- 
lent to dispersed, scattered ; ex. gr. " Apparent 
rari nantes in gurgite vasto." 

Scatter might easily be pronounced Scar in 
another dialect, on the same principle that pater 
became pere ; mater, mere ; frater, frere ; Germ, 
oder, or; &c. 

And from such a verb as to scar, the adj. scarso, 
i. e. scattered, might be derived without difficulty. 

Yet another view of the matter may be taken, 
for scarso and sparso may be etymologically 
connected. Sparsus = rants. 

to Squirt 

From the old French esquarter, to scatter. 
This verb is related to escarter and ecarter, 
and is perhaps the same with them, For escarter 



167 

meant to scatter, in old French, and indeed may 
be the same word differently pronounced [escarter, 
scarter, scatter]. 

Spark. Sparkle. 

Perhaps from the old verb to sparcle, more 
properly to disparcle, i. e. to disperse or scatter. 
Because sparks are dispersed and showered in 
all directions by the blows of the smith's hammer 
upon the glowing iron. 

to Disperse. 

This verb appears to have two origins. (1) 
from spa?*sus, dispersus, which from spargere and 
(nreipsiv. (2) from dispertire (in partes dividere). 
Parcel is the diminutive of part, (as particida is 
of pars), and is a word much used in old English. 
To disparcle evidently means to dis-parcel or 
scatter about in minute particles : that is, to 
disperse : consequently we are led to refer the 
latter verb, in some degree at least, to the root 
partire. 

Portion. 

The Latin portio is manifestly the same word 
as pars. Portio was said for Partio, and the 
change of vowel is important to notice. A similar 
change is seen in Op^apog avftpwv from ap%eiu. 



168 

to Shed. 

"The trees have shed their leaves," To shed 
is the Greek a-x&av, which is related to our 
verb to scatter. 

to Squander. 

There was an old verb to squatter used in 
Q. Elizabeth's time, synonymous with to scatter. 
Hence perhaps our word. The old German 
schwenden seems related, but more remotely. 

The Latin scatarigo or scatebra, a fountain, 
from scatere, to burst forth or spring out, seems 
also connected with the Anglo-Sax. scateran. 

Spendthrift, to Spend. Expense. 

G. werschwenden, to dissipate. Greek SwevSgw, 
to scatter a liquid, throw it on the ground. 

The same metaphor (scattering a liquid) seems 
the origin of the verb to squander, (see the last 
article). So we say, " showers of money," for 
" great expense." 

But another and very different word has con- 
nected itself with the verb to spend; namely, 
ew-pendere, from pendere (to pay money), as pen- 
dere tributa, to pay tribute. — (Cess.) 

It would take too long to consider this double 
origin of the word more at large. But before 



169 

terminating this article, I must mention some 
French verbs which are closely related to the 
Greek (nrsvSeiv. These are, 

Respandre (now repandre) to spill or scatter a 
liquid. 

Espandre (now epandre) same meaning. 

EspancJier (now epancher) the same. 

Pantry. 

Lat. penaria, from penus (according to Varro). 

Penus means any kind of provision. 

Est omne quo vescuntur homines, penus. — 
Cicero. 

The etym. is unknown, but I think it may be 
viewed as related to panis (bread). 

Pantry is the Fr. paneterie. 

Sick, to Sicken. 
Sick is the Greek %ix%og. 

ol <rix%oi xoli voo-cofietg. — Plut. 

To Sicken is ^ix^clivsiv. 

(Tix^aiuay ttclvtcl ret. §7)fA0(na. — Call. 

Either. 

Anglo-Sax. Egther. Related to Greek 'Exa- 

rspog. 

z 



170 

Speed. 
Related to the Gr. S^rewSgiv, to make haste. 

to Scoff, to Scout. 
To Scout the idea. A Scoffer. Related to 
the Greek Xxco7ttsiv. 

Sceptic. 

Gr. %xE7mxog, literally " one who looks, con- 
siders, thinks, reflects, ponders," &c. Hence it 
came to mean " one who hesitates and donbts." 
Its full meaning does not flow very evidently 
from the sense of (Txs7rro^ai (specto, I look at). 
Can it have become partially confused with the 
similar-sounding word (rxa)7rrixog, a scoffer? 

to Hang. 

To Hang answers to the Greek Ay%sw, to 

strangle. 

to Lap. 

To Lap as a dog when drinking is the Greek 

AoLTTTSlV. 

to Leave. 
To Leave is the Greek Aeiweiv. Anglo-Sax. 
Icefan. 

to Browse. 

To Browse is the Greek Bpoxrxefv. Fr. brouter. 



171 

to Gnaw. 
To Gnaw is the Greek verb Xvaus*v. Anglo- 
Sax, gnagan. Germ, nagen. 

Sieve, to Sift. 
Anglo-Sax. siftan. Germ, sichten. -Gr. o-ySsiv. 

Cannibal. 

Johnson gives no etymology, nor do I find 
one mentioned elsewhere. Compare the Hindos- 
tani Khanewala, an Eater.* 

to Requite. 

To Requite is to reward or punish : to recom- 
pense justly — Johnson says " from the French 
requiter" which word, however, is not found in 
the Dictionaries. Racquitter, formerly raquiter, is 
no doubt a related word, but it means to redeem. 
I do not find that it ever meant "to punish." 

Punishment is. Wite in Anglo-Sax. Quite in 
old French. " To quit ivel," is " to punish evil " 
in old English — whence to requite meant to 
punish. 

I will requite thee, saith the Lord. — 2 Kings 
ix. 26. 

* Yates's Introd. p. 65. 



172 

Bauble. 
French, habioles, a child's playthings or toys — 
From baby; which is a Gallic word, though not 

in modern French. 

Alert. 

Donner une vive alerte. Nous avons eu cette 
nuit trois ou quatre alertes (i. e. sudden alarms). 
Alerte ! alerte ! soldats ! (i. e. debout ! soyez sur 
vos gardes ! prenez garde a vous !)* 

" Rising up suddenly" is the original meaning 
of the word. 

Ital. stare alFerta 

Sp. estar alerta > to be on the watch. 

Old Fr. estre a l'erte 

Erte in old French was a zvatch-toiver, accord- 
ing to Cotgrave, and a steep or rocky height. 
Is it related to Ai\i\ arcis ; or to arduusf To 
be circumspect is a metaphor taken from one 
who is watching his enemies from a specula or 
watch-tower. 

Erta, in Ital. is a hill rising abruptly. 

Johnson fails very much in the etymology of 
this word, when he says that Alert is probably 
from a Vart, according to art or rule. That is 
not even a French phrase, much less does it con- 

* Diet, de l'Acad. 



173 

vey the meaning of the word. When he ob- 
serves, however, that the Latin alacris, alacritas, 
is related to alertness, the remark is probably 
better founded. 

To return to the Italian adjective Erto, rising 
suddenly, steep, abrupt. 

Whence is this word derived? 

It occurs to me that it is the Greek OpQog, 
rectus, which is etymologically connected with 
Opog, a mountain, and yet at the same time is 
applied to the human figure standing upright,* all 
which agrees with the employment of Erto, a hill 
rising suddenly ; alerte ! stand up ! arise ! and is 
plainly seen in the phrase " a capo erto" — tete 
levee — opQoxa,p7)Vog, GpQoxsfyoLhog. 

OpSog might become Erto by the easy permu- 
tation of OR, er, and ar, which is seen in other 
words, as pars, portio, impertire. Apov, opovriov. 
Ap%siv, opxot[xog. 

Perhaps the Latin arduus is another derivative 
from o^Sog. Ortus, a rising, is certainly related. 

Although Ogdo£ seems to have become Erto 
in Italian, yet another word of similar meaning 
appears to be amalgamated with it. This is Erto, 
the participle of Ergere, to set up (the Latin 

* So the French verb monter, though derived from Mons, 
a mountain, yet is applied to very small elevations ; as, Monter 
a cheval. 



174 

erigere, the German errichten, related to rectus, 
straight). There is here some embarrassment 
undoubtedly, but we may as well observe, that 
not all Latin words are genuine that are found 
in the classics. Some are due to the gramma- 
rians, who were busy even then in polishing the 
language, and reducing it to rule and order, by ex- 
punging all errors and anomalies, or what seemed 
to them such. As we are considering words 
having the meaning of awakening, I would ask 
whether exper rectus is not the same word as 
expergef actus, and if so, has not the first been 
somewhat altered, to make it agree in sense with 
rectus, erectus, or else the latter, to make it suit 
with f actus f 

Inert. 

The Latin iners, whence inertia, sloth, sluggish- 
ness. 

Usually derived from Ars, art. But this deri- 
vation is most unsatisfactory. 

Thomson says that inert is the contrary of 
alert. This is a bold etymology, and very pro- 
bably the true one. Alert properly means watch- 
ful, vigilant, wide awake : hence active, lively, 
nimble. 

Inert is just the contrary; sleepy, sluggish, in- 
dolent. 

Erto signifies upright. A capo erto (tete 



175 

levee). Inerto might therefore easily signify the 
contrary, viz. prostrate, recumbent. 
(See the last article.) 

Gregory. 

Gregorius means watchful, vigilant: an excellent 
name for a Saint or other holy man. From 
sypyyopsiv, to watch, to wake. 

As I am not satisfied with the account which 
grammarians give of the origin of this verb, I 
will take this opportunity of saying a few words 
respecting it. They say, it is a perfect used in 
the sense of a present, which is surely telling us 
nothing satisfactory. 

It is evident that sypsol anciently signified Up! 
Arise /* Awake! A person therefore awakening 
another hastily, naturally repeated the word twice, 
and exclaimed, Eyp sypso ! Up ! Up ! or Rise ! 
Rise! which became melted into one word eypy]- 
yopsco. So Milton's Satan repeats the command 
twice in one breath, Awake ! Arise ! or be for 
ever fallen ! 

And so in Horace : 

Surge! (quae dixit juveni marito) 
Surge ! ne longus tibi somnus, unde 
Non times, detur. 

* Upiv y OcWr/ eypsaOai. — Horn. Before Ulysses awoke. 
Eypero S'e^ vttvov. He awoke. Ey pso Nfcrro/HoVj ! Awake, 
son of Nestor ! — Horn. Od. o. 46. 



176 

Biscuit. 

It must be admitted that this word now sig- 
nifies twice baked; but yet I think bisket, or 
basket, may have anciently meant bread simply, 
from a verb bask, meaning to bake: since we 
have apparently retained from the same root the 
phrase " to bask oneself in the sun's rays," q. d. 
to bake oneself — a Basket, i. e. bread-holder, just 
as pannier (Fr. panier) comes from the Lat. 
panis — a Baxter, old word for a Baker; and the 
curious old British word Bascauda, preserved by 
Martial in his line : 

Barbara de pictis veni bascauda Britannis. 

Now, what is the etymology of Bascauda thus 
certified to us as being a Northern word? Surely 
it is Base-holder, or Basc-lialter (to use the 
German verb lialten, to hold) ; that is to say, 
a Bread-holder. Base, then, signified bread in 
England, in the time of Martial.* 

Now, if Bask, or Bdk,f signified bread among 
our ancestors, we have here a remarkable and 



* The change of halter into auda is supported by innu- 
merable instances in the French language, viz. alter, autre; 
altare, autel, &c. 

Moreover, the final syllable Er in English resembles in 
sound, and is rendered by, the short vowel a of the southern 
nations. Example : Dagger, in English, is Daga in Spanish. 

f This contraction is very ordinary, ex. gr. task, tdche. 



177 

singular coincidence with the Phrygian word 
Bek, which signified the same, according to the 
well-known story told by Herodotus, (II. 2.) con- 
cerning Psammitichus, King of Egypt, and his 
remarkable philological experiment. 

Extant. 

Extans in Latin properly means excellent ; stand- 
ing out ; prominent. Ex-stare, to be apparent ; to 
be seen above others. Thus, Cicero : — 

Quo magis exstare atque eminere videatur. 

But when we say, for example, " the works of 
Virgil are extant, but the works of Varius are 
not extant :" is this the same word ? and how 
comes it to have so very different a mean- 
ing ? 

The Latin writers certainly seem to have ac- 
counted it the same word, but it may be 
doubted whether in so doing they took a phi- 
losophical view. 

A thing no longer extant, means no longer 
existent. These two words have almost the same 
sense, and they may have been the same word 
originally. 

Let the Italian esistente be pronounced ra- 
pidly, and we have, 

2 A 



178 

Esistente, es'stente, estente; i. e. estant, or 
extant. The latter is our word ; but as to the 
former, it is still remaining in the old French 
language, estant (existing, or being), the participle 
of the verb estre, or etre. 

These remarks may be considered as supple- 
mentary to what has been said in a former article 
on the verbs to Stand and to Be, when viewed 
in connexion. 

Cockboat. 

A 

Welsh, Civch, a little boat, a wherry. Fr. 
Coche, a passage-boat (now coche cTeau, for the 
sake of distinction). The cockswain is properly 
the officer in command of the boat. 

Henry V. employed a great number of cogge- 
ships in his service in the year 1418, and a list 
of their names has been preserved. 

A ship called a ketch ; Dan. kag, seems hence 
derived. 

Chance-medley. 

No doubt, this phrase originally meant chance- 
(juarrel. When a person killed another in a 
casual fray, and unpremeditated, he was not to 
be hardly dealt with. 

Medley is a quarrel : a fray : (French, meslee, 
melee). It is related distantly to the Greek words 
apAXa and fjno'hog (fxcohov Ap7joc. — Horn.) 



179 

The other sense of the verb Mesler, to meddle 
(or mix), is connected with it, although not very 
closely. "To miw in a fray" is a common ex- 
pression. 

Apoplexy. 

A7ro7rA7j§*a of the Greeks. 

In considering the remote origin of this word 
a somewhat singular idea has occurred to me, 
which, if the reader does not partake, it can, at 
least, do no harm to have mentioned. 

The word A7ro7rXr)XTog signifies Thunderstruck : 
struck perfectly senseless and speechless. 

Hhrjxrog is simply " struck." I want to know 
why Axo adds to it a meaning so singularly 
intensive ? This preposition generally signifies 
nothing more than "from" or " off." So that, a 
priori, we should have expected that a.7ro7rXYi(rtrsiv 
would signify " to strike off," or " to knock off," 
as fruit from a tree, or something of that kind, 
instead of the very remarkable signification which 
in fact we find it to bear. 

Now we read in the Saturnalia of Macrobius 
(I. cap. 17) a line quoted from the Phaeton of 
Euripides : — 

co j/ovfrotyzyysg 'HXi*, cog pi otTrcohscrag ! 
" Sun ! how thou hast destroyed me !" 



180 

Upon which Macrobius observes, "that Men 
attacked with a burning disease are called A71-0A- 
Xcovofi^Toi (struck by Apollo), or f H?uo/3Xr y To< 
(struck by the Sun). But that Women afflicted 
with certain diseases are called Xsy^vofiXrjoi 
(struck by the Moon), or Apr=[j.i<$ofiKr l Toi (struck 
by Artemis or Diana). 

" And," says he, " for this reason the statues 
of Apollo have a bow and arrows. The arrows 
mean the force of the Solar Rays." 

Nothing in Archaeology is more certain than 
what Macrobius here asserts, that the arrows of 
Apollo mean the solar rays ; and it may be 
easily proved in several different languages that 
the rays of the Sun were called his arrows, 
not in poetry, but in ordinary prose. Every one 
will remember the fine description with which 
Homer's Iliad opens, of the Grecian army pe- 
rishing by the arrows of Apollo. It was in or- 
dinary language a pestilence, y^oi^og, as the poet 
himself informs us : — 

~No'j<rov olvol crr^arov woos xaxr^, oXsxovto 
%s Xao/. 

And again : — 

Ei %7) 0[A0U 7T0XS[A0S TE ftctfJLCC X<Xi A0JjU.0C 

A%cuo<jg. 



181 

But the arrows of the vengeful deity were the 
cause : — 

Asivt} Ss x"kayyr\ ysvsT apyupsoio fiioio. 

A man struck with sudden death was believed 
to be killed by the arrows of Apollo. fc We should 
call it sl Coup de Soleil, or an Apoplectic fit. And 
now then to return to the etymology of the latter 
word, concerning which I must hazard a con- 
jecture. 

A person, who was stupified or senseless, was 
called %sXr)vo7r\Y}XTog* and AttottXtjxtos ; the 
former word signifies " struck by the moon." 
May not the latter signify, " struck by the sun ?" 
frapp e d'un coup de soleil f 

I think that A7ro7rKr}XTog is a softer and more 
easy pronunciation of a most ancient word, viz. 
A7rXo7rXr)xrog, literally " Apollo-struck." I have 
cited from Macrobius the same word in a much 
newer form, A7roAXa)vo/3A7jTO£. 

Aplu, or Aplo, was the Etruscan, that is, the 
old Italian name for Apollo. The Greeks them- 
selves, at Delphi, called that deity Apello, and 
the common people certainly called him Applo, 
as we read on a vase lately discovered the name 

* Hesych. v. fiEKKtcrtXrivoc;, 



182 

of Applodorus, which in classical Greek is Apol- 
lodorus. But we are not considering here clas- 
sical Greek, but that spoken in rapid conversation 
by ordinary persons. 

Consequently, there is no doubt but that a 
rapid speaker, meaning to say that a man was 
struck by the Sun, would say that he was 
A7rXo7rX75^TO$-. 

The month of May. 

The Romans called this month Mains: perhaps 
in honour of Maia, the Universal Mother, i. e. 
the Earth. 

But in whatever sense they understood it, I 
am satisfied that the month must have had that 
name long before. 

One reason for doubting the claims of the 
goddess Maia to have given her name to the 
month, arises from the Italian term for it being 
Maggio, and not Maio : which seems to point 
to some other original. 

Now, if we consider the Teutonic or northern 
names for the months, we find that several of 
them are named from the rural occupations which 
distinguish them. 

For example, in German we find Heumonat 
(the month of Hay), Herbstmonat (the month 



183 

of Harvest), Weinmonat (the month of Wine, or 
of the Vintage) ; and in Danish, Hbst-maaned 
(the month of Harvest), Hoe-maaned (the month 
of Hay), Vin-maaned (the month of Wine). 

Now then, my opinion and conjecture is this, 
viz. that in very ancient times the season of 
hay-making was named the month of May, from 
the verb Mayen, to mow grass. This verb, in 
different dialects, takes the following forms :* 



Holl. ... 


... maayen. 


Platt-deutsch 


... maien, meien 


Germ. ... 


... m alien. 


Swed. ... 


... maja, meja. 


Dan. . . . 


... meje. 


Anglo-Sax. 


... mawan. 


Engl. ... 


... mow. 



To these is to be added the Greek verb apasiv, 
that is, Maein. For the initial vowel is nothing 
but a breathing. Thus it appears that to Ma, 
or to May, signified " to cut grass " in a great 
number of ancient dialects. 

I conclude, then, that May signified the Hay 
harvest. If this is correct, it shews that our 



* And from the verb comes the substantive (Old English) 
Math, i. e. the hay-harvest; and the Aftermath (Germ, mahd and 
nsich-mahd. Platt-D. mad and na-mac?). 



184 

ancestors inhabited a more southern climate at the 
time when they gave its name to the month of 
May, than we do at present. 

Maying. 

Zephyr with Aurora playing, 
As he met her once a-maying. 

Milton. 

Johnson says it is " to gather flowers on May 
morning." This is too restricted. It evidently 
means to sport about, and enjoy the beauties of 
May. 

So an early German poet sings : — 

Bi der gruenen Linden 
Dar ich meien was gegan.* 

"By the green linden trees, as I went a-maying." 
But the real, original meaning of "going a- 
maying" must, I think, have been "going a-hay- 
making;" that being the primitive sense of the 
verb maien. (See the last article.) 

to Moiv. Meadow. 

To mow, Anglo-Sax. mawan, is related to 
several words mentioned in page 183. 

* Zeitschr. fur die hist. Theologie, 1841, p. 14, where the 
reader will find some sweet early German poetry of the Minne- 
singers in praise of the beauty of May. 



185 

From the verb is derived the substantive " the 
math ;" and also a mead, a meadow ; Germ, matte.* 

Again, from this substantive-form are derived 
the verbs, 

Gothic ... maitan 

Old Germ. ... meiden 
Lat. ... ... metere 

July. August. 

History informs us that Julius and Augustus 
Caesar gave their names to the months previously 
called Quintilis and Sewtilis. But Domitian failed 
in his attempt to name September and October 
Germanicus and Domitianus. (See Macrobius, I. 
cap. 12.) 

His failure excites no surprise, but it is re- 
markable that the others should have been 
successful in so great an innovation. 

I wish to point out a circumstance, that may 
have first suggested the notion of thus changing the 
names of the months in honour of the emperors, 
and may also have contributed in no inconsider- 
able degree to the success of the attempt. This 
is the circumstance, that there was already a 



* The village of An-der-matt (on the meadow) is known to 
most travellers in Switzerland. 

2 B 



186 

month lulus known in some part of the Roman 
empire, and that the Harvest month was called 
in the north by a name very much resembling 
August. 

It is to be observed that the French have not 
adopted the spelling, and much less the pronunci- 
ation, of the Roman August. They wrote formerly 
Aoust, and now Aout. Although there is a kind 
of outward conformity with Augustus, it appears 
to me that Aoust is nothing else than the old 
Gallic word Eaust, the Harvest, still retained in 
the language of Bretagne. And if it should be 
said that this latter word is a corruption of the 
Latin Augustus, I reply that this can hardly be ; 
for Eaust is used as an adjective, signifying ripe* 
and has all appearance of being a native word, 
and is, moreover, strongly supported by the 
Danish Host, the harvest, which comes so near 
to Eaust. 

Host is manifestly a native Danish word, and 
not imported, since we find from it a heap of 
derivatives, such as, Host-mand, a reaper (harvest- 
man); Korn host, the corn harvest; hoster, to 
reap ; hostning, the reaping. 



* Ex. gr. Aval eaust, a ripe apple. Eausti, to reap corn (in 
the dialect of Vannes, Esteiri). Mis-Eaust, the month of Au- 
gust {Est in the V. dialect). 



187 

I conclude, therefore, that the month of harvest 
was anciently called in the north, the month of 
Host or Eaust, and that this may have suggested 
to the flatterers of Augustus to identify it 
with his name. 

Names of Numbers. 

Counting on the fingers was the first Arith- 
metic. For that reason the ten figures we 
employ are called the ten digits, i. e. fingers. 

" Not only the numbers seven and nine, from 
considerations abstruse, have been extolled by 
most, but all or most of other digits have been 
as mystically applauded." — (Brown's Vulgar Er- 
rours, quoted by Johnson.) 

To express Ten our ancestors said " Hands." 

Hund anciently meant ten.,* 

Anta (i. e. hands) meant ten in Italian, and Ante 
in French ; as Cinqu-anta, Sess-anta ; and Cinqu- 
ante, Soix-ante. This is the German Hande, the 
plural of Hand. 

The Gothic word for ten is tailiun. I am 
doubtful whether this is to be interpreted two 



* Bosw. Sax. diet, in voce. When used alone it generally- 
meant a hundred ; as hund-feald, a hundred fold. This was for 
the sake of brevity; for they also said hund-teontig-feald (ten 
times tenfold) with the same meaning. 



188 

hand. A hand in the singular of course ought 
to be five, and, therefore, two hand would be ten. 
This does not militate with what we said before, 
that hands in the plural meant ten, and twice 
hands, or hands twice, meant twenty. The Anglo- 
Saxons put the numeral in that way, viz. after 
the word hund. Thus hund-nigontig is ninety. 
In the parable of the lost sheep, " would not he 
leave the ninety and nine ?" is " hu ne forlset he 
tha nigon and hund-nigontig r ." 

Supposing taihun (in compound words taihund) 
to mean two hand, the same would be the meaning 
of Old German ze-hen (now zehn, Anglice ten), 
also written ze-han and ze-hun and ti-an. Jakel, 
quoted by Bosworth, says that he thinks taihun 
meant " the hands ;" but I think the article here is 
inconvenient, and that tai means two. However, 
I am well satisfied to observe that he agrees with 
me upon the principal point, the meaning of 

hun. 

Dozen. 

Evidently composed of Do and Zen : i. e. Two 
and Ten. 

French, Douzaine, from Douze. But Douze has 
the same origin; Ze representing the German 
Zehn, ten. 

Germ, dutzend. The D is superfluous, as in 
mond, for the moon. 



189 

Eleven. Twelve. 

Eleven is in Anglo-Sax. Endlufon : which literally 
signifies " One left" A simple mode of expression, 
but clear enough. The speaker held up both 
hands, and then added " One left." 

Twelve, Anglo-Sax. twelf. The origin of the 
word is better seen in the old German dialects. 

Zue-lifin; tue-lef; twe-lef; to-lef; zeue-lif. 

And in the Gothic, twa-lif; twa-lib. 

It means, therefore, " Two left" 

Eight. Nine. Ten. 

Ten, (see the remarks in page 187). 

Nine. This term signifies " One wanting? i. e. 
wanting to complete the full number of Ten. 

This will I think appear, on inspecting the fol- 
lowing table : — 

Nig-on 

Nig-an \ Anglo-Saxon. 

Nig-en 

Neg-en ... Holl. 

Ni-un ... Gothic. 

Ne-un ... Germ, but pronounced in one syl- 
lable. 

The Greek name ewea requires a deeper inves- 
tigation. The initial vowel is only a breathing 
(as in avz-fyios for nephew, nepos). Take it away, 



190 

and we have Nsa,* for nine. Now in ancient 
Greek, A signified one, as it does in modern 
English, and as An did in Anglo-Sax. [ex. gr. 
ancenned, nnigenitns ; an-eaqe, one-eyed : an-ecge, 
one-edged]. 

That A signified one in ancient Greek can be 
proved by many examples, as a7^o%og, axoirig, &c. 
AxohooQog, a companion [literally Una via]. Aya- 
Kaxrog, arcthavTog \Unum lac: Unum pondus]. 

All this has been sadly misunderstood by the 
grammarians, who supj)osed A to stand for a[xa. 
Others, not knowing what to make of it, called 
it the Alpha copulativum. But to return. 

Since, then, nine was named in the German 
dialects, ni-un, ne-un, nig-an, &c. if we substitute 
this archaic Greek A (meaning One) for the An 
or Un of the German, we obtain Ne-a or Nsa. 

But there are many who do not like to dive 
into these recesses of etymology, and for them 
Evv£a will remain a primitive term, like the first 
seven digits, whose meaning is not easily, if at 
all, discoverable. 

As for Octo, it may possibly mean Of-to,\ that 



* The second N is superfluous, being omitted in Evarog, the 
ninth. 

t Oc and Of are sometimes permuted, ex. gr. in Welsh, Ofnu, 
to be afraid : Gr. Okvw. 



191 

is, in modern orthography, Two-off or Two-away 
{viz, from the complete number of ten). The 
Anglo-Sax. preposition Of signifies Off, as of- 
aweorpan, to cast off, or cast away. 

But in searching for the origin of very ancient, 
universal, and primitive terms, we necessarily in- 
volve ourselves in etymological subtleties and diffi- 
culties, not to say labyrinths. The etymologist 
is like a man exploring a dark cavern with the 
aid of a farthing rushlight; he sees well enough 
what is near him, but there always remains an 
unfathomable depth of darkness beyond. 

Mealy-mouthed. 

Johnson explains this phrase to mean 

" Using soft words : speaking hypocritically." 

Ye hypocrites ! ye meal-mouthed counterfeits. 

Harman. A. D. 1587. 

This word has created much perplexity to 
etymologists. Perhaps it is a term of Greek 
origin, viz. peXifjwQos* (a person) of honied dis- 
course, or speech. Our own poet uses a similar 
phrase : — " The bait of honied words." 



Formed like ttoXvjulvOoq, talkative ; aKpirofivOog, &c. 



192 

But if it is a word of Northern origin, I would 
remark that the Icelandic word for adulation is 
fagur mcsli, from fagur (fair) and mceli (speech). 
And in Danish it is something similar. There- 
fore it is possible that the Danes may have 
introduced the terms fair-mcely, meaning flattery 
or hypocrisy, and f air-rncely -mouthed (speaking 
hypocritically), of which our adjective may be 

an abbreviation. 

Hebrides. 

The Hebrides or Western Islands of Scotland 
were the Ebudes of the ancients — a name, I 
believe, hitherto unexplained. 

I think that this word signified " the Desert 
Islands" in the ancient Gallic or Gaelic tongue, 
because such a meaning of the word Ebudes 
appears to have been long preserved in Gaul. 
I find the term mentioned as follows in Roque- 
fort's glossary of the Romance dialect, p. 421 : 

Ebudes. Terreins incultes. 

to Twit. 

To twit or twite a person with anything, is 
to reproach him with it. 

From Anglo-Sax. cetwitan or edwitan (Mseso- 
Goth. idweityan), to reproach : derived from ivitan, 
which has the same meaning. 



193 

Witan is retained in the Scotch and Dutch 
idioms. For example; "Ye need na wite me 
with that," i. e. reproach me. " They have them- 
selves to wite" (blame) : Holl. " to wyten." See 
Jamieson's Dictionary. 

Catherine. 
From the Irish Kathleen, Flemish Kateline, 
which is a diminutive of Kate. Evelina is a 
similar diminutive from Eve ; and Emmeline from 
Emma. Ugolino from Hugo is a similar form, 
and the poetic name of Fridolin in Schiller. 
But Leoline, which looks like a diminutive, may 
be shewn to be a softened pronunciation of 
Lewelin or Llewellyn. 

Ireland. 

A pretty good etymology of Ireland or Ierne 
is that proposed by Camden, which derives it 
from the Irish word iar, the West. But then 
we must suppose it to have been so named by 
a people who dwelt in Albion. It is possible, 
indeed, that the ancestors of the Irish may have 
dwelt there. But the Irish traditions point to 
Spain (or Iberia as the ancients called it) as the 
land of their ancestors. And certainly it seems 
probable that Iberia and Ibernia are the same 

2 c 



194 

name ; and if so, Ifiypeg may have passed very 
easily into Teres, Irish. For the letter B or V 
before R is often dropped or suppressed.* 

Guitar. 

From the Greek K/fiapa : Lat. Cithara. 

As the derivation of the word KiSapa is remark- 
able, and not so well known as it ought to be, 
I will add it here from Tod's Rajasthan, p. 538. 

" Chatara, from cha, six, and tar, string or 
wire. Thus, from the six-wired instrument of 
the Hindoos we have the Greek Cithara." 

Foxglove. 

In addition to what was said before, it may 
be remarkedf that these flowers are called in 
Teviotdale " Witches' thimbles," agreeing partly 
with the German name {fingerhut, thimble), and 
partly with the Welsh ; the witches, however, 
taking the place of the fairies. 

Sibyl 
I have attempted an etymology of this cele- 



* For instance, libra, Ital. lira : pavor, paura, peur : Mavors, 
Mars. 

t See Jamieson's Dictionary, Supplement. 



195 

braced name in my remarks on the Book of 
Genesis ; but I will here present a different 
conjecture. 

The Sibylline books, as every one knows, were 
a kind of prophecies of a highly enigmatic cha- 
racter, and pretended to be of great antiquity. 
Now it appears to me possible that the term 
Sibylline or Sibyllic may mean allegorical or 
emblematic. 

Mythology is called in the Danish language 
Sindbilled-sprog^ from Sindbillede, a symbol, em- 
blem, or hieroglyphic, which is the German 
Sinnbild, an Allegory. Thus, for instance, Ade- 
lung says in his dictionary, an Anchor is a 
Sinnbild or Symbol of Hope. 

Now it is easy to see that the word Sinnbild 
is derived from Sinn (sense, meaning) and Bild 
(a figure). But, notwithstanding that, I think it 
probable that it is the same word as Symbol — 
only in a German dress. In short, that one of 
those words was derived from the other.f But 



* Sprog, Germ. Sprache, answers to \oyog in the word 
MvOoXoyia. 

f The reader may perhaps object that neither of tjjeni can be 
a borrowed word, since each has a meaning in its own language. 
But this is no real objection. It only shews, that if the Greek 



196 

which was the original one?* That seems a ra- 
ther difficult question. I waive it for the present. 
I only wish to observe that an Allegory is termed 
in two different languages symbol and sinnbild ; 
and if these terms had a common origin the 
intermediate sound simbyl may likewise have been 
in use, for accidental changes of that kind were 
of constant occurrence, especially among illiterate 
people, the mass of the community in ancient 
times. And, if so, then the word Sibyl is 
obtained at once from Simbyl by one of the 
commonest rules of etymology.f 

JEnigmas were called Symbola Pythagorica, and 



was the original, then the spelling was intentionally altered in 
such a way as to produce a meaning in German also. Or else 
vice versa 1 . Examples of this proceeding occur so frequently that 
I will only cite one at present, viz. Drogman or Dragoman, a 
Turkish word meaning an interpreter. This the Italians have 
refined into Turcimanno, because the word (otherwise of barba- 
rous sound) thus acquired a kind of meaning in their own lan- 
guage. 

* The superficial grammarians of former times had no idea 
that any Greek or Latin word of a regular form, was, or could 
be, corrupted from the Teutonic or Celtic. Yet these languages 
were of equal antiquity with the Greek and Latin : were 
spoken at the same time with them, and by nations with whom 
they had intercourse of peace and war. 

f M before B is indifferently added and taken away. Ex. gr. 
tambour, tabor (a drum). 



197 

therefore (Enigmatic 'prophecies might be very pro- 
perly called Symbolic, or Sibyllic. 

Symbol is not the only word which appears to 
have become confused with Sibyl. The similar- 
sounding Arabic word Sumbul seems to have 
done the same. 

Sumbul is an Ear of Corn ; and because the 
constellation Virgo holds one in her hand (called 
Spica Virginis, and emblematic of harvest-time, 
reaping, or mowing), therefore the Arabians called 
her Sumbul. This word being mistaken for Sibyl 
gave rise to the notion that the celestial Virgo 
was a Sibyl. Nay, I would go further, and say, 
that the application of that name to the constel- 
lation Virgo may have been the chief, or only 
reason why the Sibyls were supposed to be 

virgins. 

Witch. Wizard. 

A Witch, from Anglo -Sax. Wicce. 

From the Teutonic root wissen, to know, we 
have Wizard, implying a man of very great or 
supernatural knowledge, and Witch, which, if I 
mistake not, is a feminine form of the same 
word. 

Thus, then, Witch signifies a " knowing woman." 

Impostors, called " cunning men " and " cun- 
ning women," are, even now, frequently consulted 



198 

by the ignorant and credulous, and " cunning " 
originally meant kenning or knowing. 

The German weissager, a prophet, is similarly 
derived from weise, wise. 

Magicians, soothsayers, &c. are called in Anglo- 
Saxon witegas, and in India Vedyas ;* which 
words I conceive to be the same, since the 
former is derived from witm, to know, the latter 
from veda, knowledge. 

It may be asked why I have not also included 
here the Latin name for a witch, sclga, since it 
is apparently related to scigaoe (intelligent), and the 
French sage (wise). 

Perhaps it ought to be included ; but on the 
other hand the different quantity in the vowel 
induces a doubt, and leads me to suspect that it 
comes from the Teutonic root sagen, to say: in 
fact, that the adjective prcesagus originally signified 
saying before, as, " cornix prsesaga malorum," telling 
beforehand of evils by her ominous croak. It is 
needless to observe that prophecy and prediction 
have that meaning, viz. saying before (and not, 
knoiving before). 

As to the word Saga itself, it may be an 



* See Tod's Rajasthan. Vedya seems the same word as the 
middle Latin, vegius, a sorcerer. 



199 

abbreviation of the Teutonic Wahr-sager, a prophet ; 

a word which we have not in our own language, 

but instead of it we have its literal translation 

Soothsayer. 

Wiseacre. 

This word is a curious and somewhat absurd 
corruption of the German Weissager, a prophet. 

Restive. 

A restive horse, &c. From the verb to " resist." 

Resistive : res'stive : restive. 

In my remarks on the word Extant I might 
have added that the Latin verbs sto and sisto 
appear to have been originally the same word. 

Thus Siste ! or siste gradum ! is the same as 
Sta! (Anglice Stay!) 

The following examples all concur to shew that 
a rapid pronunciation reduces the compounds of 
sistere to the compounds of stare, without change 
of meaning. Therefore how can they be otherwise 
than the same word originally?* 



* The fact is, that Sisto is nothing else than an emphatic or 
forcible form of Sto ; as fiifivw is an emphatic form of /uivo) or 

fJLEVLJ. 

In the same manner, the verbs 7rpaw 9 Tjoow, fipoio, &c. have 
the reduplicate forms rrnrpacrKW, riTpwaKw, ]3ij3jOw<xK:w, &c. 



200 

1. 

Existent : ex'stent : extant.* 

Ital. esistente : es'stent : estant (old French, i.e. 

ing or existing). 

2. 
Consistent : cons'stent : constant. 
Consistency of conduct, and constancy are very 
similar. 

And when we say " the work consists of four 
volumes" we have the Latin constat. 

3. 
To persist : the Latin perstare. 

4. 
To insist, is to urge strongly and positively. 
Hence the phrase " he was very instant with me," 
i. e. very urgent. 

Insistent : ins'stent : instant. 
Instare, to urge, to press upon. 

5. 
Subsistence is related to Substance in nearly 
the same way. And since to subsist f and to 

* A similar abbreviation is seen in the words — 
Existimare : ex'stimare : estimare (or sestimare) : in Italian, 
simply, stimare ; in Greek still more shortened into Ti/j.av. 

Existimatio is our word Esteem ; Ital. Stima ; Greek, Tifirj. 

"j" Johnson gives " to be" as the primary meaning of " to 



201 

exist mean nearly the same thing, this remark 
is not without importance to those who are 
studying the u7ro(fioL(Tig in Theology, upon which 
whole volumes of wordy dispute have been writ- 
ten. 

6. 

To Assist. — In French a person is said " as- 
sister a une chose," when he is present merely, 
without rendering any help whatever. 

Assistants of that kind are simply the adstantes, 
which may be rendered in English " the By- 
standers." 

To Endow : Endue : Indue. 

Three different verbs, according to Johnson. 

But they have little claim to be so considered. 
Usage has so amalgamated them together that 
they may be almost considered as three different 
spellings of the same word. 

Induere and dotare are the Latin verbs corre- 
sponding. Whether these two verbs are etymo- 
logically connected, is a question which I shall 
postpone to the end of this article. At present 
let us consider the English usage of the three 
words. 

" Richly endow' d by nature." (Addison.) And 
the same writer calls talents " great endowments" 

2 D 



202 

I at first with two fair gifts 

Created him endow 'd : with Happiness, 

And Immortality. Milton. 



Men endued with worthy qualities. — Shaksp. 

Endued with royal virtues as thou art. — Milt. 

Endue them with thy Holy Spirit. — Common 
Prayer. 

Whatsoever other things a man may be endued 
withal. — Tillotson. 

Every Christian is endued with a power to resist 
temptations. — Tillotson. 

Spenser uses this word most distinctly in the 
sense of investing, in the two following examples: — 

Like a faerie knight himself he drest, 
For every shape on him he conld endew. 

Thou losel base ! 
Thou hast with borrow'd plumes thyself endew' 'd. 

I now come to a remarkable example where 
the same verb is used most plainly in the sense 
of endowed. 

It is found in the authorized translation of the 
Bible.— (Gen. 30. 20.) 

" And Leah said, God hath endued me with a 
good dowry? 

Johnson takes this for an error of the press, 



203 

but is properly refuted by his editor Todd, who 
produces the same phrase, "to endew with a 
dowry" from Spenser. 



Tt remains for us to consider the third form 
of the word, viz. to indue ; of which the following 
passages are examples : — 

Diana's shape and habit then indued, 

He said 

Sandys. 

God indued the waters of Bethesda with super- 
natural virtue. — Hooker. 

With dreadful strength indued. — Chapman. 

Solomon's singular induement with the Holy 
Spirit. — Montague, 1648. 



The three verbs then are essentially the same. 
To invest with a garment is the original idea, 
even in such a phrase as the following: "He 
endowed the church with rich lands and extensive 
possessions." For, in ancient times, the ceremony 
of Investiture was necessary in order to put a 
person in actual possession of any property. Until 
then, he was only possessor de jure and not de facto. 
To invest a person with a garment is the Latin 
Induere. Hence all the above phrases. 



204 

But, it will probably be asked, does not the 
verb to endow come from the Latin dotare f And 
if so, how is this to be reconciled with the sense of 
investiture f 

I reply, that the etymology of dos and dotare 
is not certainly known ; and that it is not impos- 
sible they may be originally connected with the 
verb duere, the root of induere. In fact, dotare 
may be related to duere or ftusiv, as potare to wisiv, 
and as mutare or motare to an ancient verb muere 
(still found in French, remaer). 

The T in Dotare is a participial form. So in 
many other examples : ex. gr. ttio or 7roa>,* I drink ; 
particip. pot us, drunk. Thence potare. 

Mow, moveo, I move ; part, motus, moved. Thence 
remote, the same as removed : amotus, &c. and, 
the verb mutare. 

Nswo, nuo, I nod ; whence nutus, a nod, and the 
verb nutare. 

Tueor, I defend or save; whence tutus safe; 
tutor, a guardian, and the verb tutari, &c. 

I will take this opportunity to make a remark 
upon the origin of the Latin dives, which has not 
hitherto, I believe, been satisfactorily explained. 



* Poculum and Trnrwua are from this ancient ttow or mo- 



205 

As the verb midare or motare comes from moveo, 
and votum from voveo ; so dotare points to an 
ancient form doveo, to dow or endow. This form 
is obsolete, but we actually find in Italian the 
adjective dovizioso rich, which is from the Latin 
divitice. I think then that the Italian has pre- 
served the primary form of the word, which was 
doves and not dives. 

Dos, dotis, may be related to the verb duo, 
participle dutus, as Cos, cotis, a whetstone, is to the 
verb acuo, to sharpen ; part, acutus. 

But it will be said perhaps, that as potare 
comes from potor a drinker, so dotare from dotor, 
a giver, which is found in Greek : 

hcorop ot,7rri[ji.o(rvvrig. 

I admit this, I only contend that duere, to 
invest, has had some share in determining the 
meaning of dos and dowry. And perhaps this last 
remark (on the Greek word hcorcop) affords the real 
reason why an actual investiture became the sym- 
bol of a gift, viz. because the word that meant 
" a gift " in Greek, meant " a vest " in Teutonic 
and ancient Latin. But this is a mere con- 
jecture. 



206 

to Induct. 

A clergyman is said to be inducted into a living. 
The phrase is plain enough, but nevertheless I 
think it is not the original one. 

The ceremony evidently answers to the inves- 
titure of former times (see the preceding article) ; 
and I think therefore the ancient phrase was, 
that the priest was induit with his new office ; 
viz. the Latin indutus, clothed, invested. But 
as the Latin inductus has also become induit* 
in French,f the word induit was ambiguous — 
being in use in two different senses at the same 
time. And the monks, in Latinizing the word, 
made a mistake, rendering it inductus instead of 
indutus. This opinion is much confirmed by 
what Johnson says : — 

"Induction is the investiture of the temporal 
part of the benefice." 

In an old English treatise % we read of a priest 
being induyd (instead of inducted). 



* Like conductus, conduit : reductus, reduit : productus, 
produit. 

f As " vous m'avez induit en erreur ;" induxisti me in errorem. 

X Apology for the Lollards, p. 152. 



207 

Vetch. 

Lat. Vicia. I observe that Tragus* very fre- 
quently uses the Latin word vicium or vitium in 
the sense of a weed.\ I know not whether he 
does so upon sufficient authority, but it is evident 
that there is a great similarity between the 
vetches or tares which disfigure and injure the 
crop, and perhaps destroy it, and the vices, ble- 
mishes and other evils which deform the moral 
world: so much so as to have given occasion to a 
parable in Scripture. 

Melon. 

From MtjXov, pomum ; any large round fruit. 

Pumpkin. 

This word, from its form, should be a diminu- 
tive, which however is very unsuitable to so 
large a fruit. I suppose therefore it is a cor- 
ruption of pumpion ; Fr. pompon ; from the 
Greek 7rs7rwv. 

The primary meaning of ttbtzwv is sweet or 
mild: crixrjg 7rs7rcov or r^xspog ; opposed to aypiog, 
or the wild sort. 

* Hieron. Tragus ; History of Plants, &c. A.D. 1552. 

f For instance, he says of the yellow chrysanthemum (C. 
segetum), " Enascitur duntaxat in arvis inter segetes, peculiare 
earundem vicium." 



208 

The corruption mentioned above may possibly 
have arisen in the following way. Pumpion was 
used as a term of derision {vide Shakspeare 
quoted by Johnson) ; so was bumpkin ; and by 
a mistake between these, some called the fruit a 
pumpkin. 

The Greeks also called a very weak or soft- 
headed person, a pumpion; whence the proverb, 
Us7rouog [AOLhaxcuTepog, softer than a pumpion. 
And even one of Homer's heroes, incensed at the 
timidity of his soldiers, exclaims £1 7rs7rousg ! 

The Germans call one who is very weak, 
timid, or cowardly, " a fig " (feig) and feig-herzig, 
fig-hearted, i. e. having a heart of fig- wood — the 
softest of woods. It is the contrary of our 
phrase " heart of oak."* 

And the Greeks used the same expression, as 

we see in Theocritus : — 

fAY) 7rapicou rig 

E/7TY), cuxiuoi avhpsg, airto'hsTO %ouTog b [xiaSog ! 

Where a-uxivoi, that is, made of Jig wood, means 
lazy and useless, ignavi. Compare the line in 
Horace : — 

Olim truncus er&mjiculnus, inutile lignum. 

* Nothing can be simpler than this explanation of the German 
word /<?£#, and yet Schwenck says of it, " die Ableitung ist un- 
bekannt /" 



209 

So also Cornichon, cucumber, is a term of de- 
rision in French. But 7rs7rov in the sense of 
" sweet !" is often used as a term of endearment, 
like y7ujxvfjL7)Kov, sweet apple! 

Marsh-mallow. 

The Marsh-mallow is Guimauve in French, a 
word of remarkable etymology : for Gui is the 
French name for Viscum (or birdlime), and ac- 
cordingly I find in Menage's Dictionary, that 
Robert Etienne explains Guimauve to mean 
Malva- Viscum, "parceque sa racine sert a faire 
de la glu."* Hence the name Malvaviscus (see 
Apuleius de herbis, c. 38), which has been adopted 
by modern botanists. And since this latter name 
is used synonymously with Hibiscus or Ifiurxog, 
it is probable that Hibiscus is to be derived from 
Viscum also. 

The Ifiurxog is mentioned by Dioscorides (3, 
163). Galen and Suidas call it Ej3i<r*o£. Virgil 
also speaks of it, but in a very peculiar sense : — 
" Hsedorumque gregem viridi compellere hibisco" 
i. e. virgd — with a green twig or rod. And again: 
" gracili fiscellam texit hibisco " — weaves a basket 
with slender twigs. 

* All parts of the plant abound in a glutinous juice. 

2e 



210 

As I do not see what this has to do with 
mallows, or marsh-mallows (nor do the commenta- 
tors afford any help), I think there must have been 
some confusion anciently between fiscus, a basket 
(or perhaps it meant a slender and pliant twig 
proper for basket making), and viscus or biscus, 
whence hibiscus.* 

Some old botanists call the marsh-mallow the 
Bis-malva. This name has arisen in the following 
way. Instead of Malva-viscus some said Visco- 
malva, which was shortened into Bis-malva. 

Yellow. Gold. 

I have placed at the head of this article two 

words which are more nearly connected together 
than is generally imagined. 

Yellow. Anglo-Sax. gelew. Ital. giallo.f Old 

Germ, gelo, gel. Holl. geel. Swed. gul. Dan. 
guul. 



* Verbena is sometimes used in the sense of virga, a rod ; the 
name of vervain-mallow may allude to this. 

t The Italian giallo comes very near to our yellow, especially 
if we remember that the Italian G is often equivalent to HI and 
to J (which sounds as Y in German) as Geroglifici, Hiero- 
glyphics : Giove, Jove. 



211 

Gold has the same name {gold or guld) in 
most northern languages. It is gull in Icelandic. 

Hence there can be no doubt that Gold meant 
the Yellow metal: or else vice versa, that Yellow 
meant Gold-coloured. In the Scandinavian dialects 
(Swed. Dan. and Icel.) the two words are the 
same; for the final D in Guld may be looked 
upon as superfluous, it being the custom of those 
languages to add it at the end of many words 
terminating in L or N, as Skind, Kind, Mand, 
&c. (for skin, chin, man). 

Sun and Moon. Yule. 

Several nations seem to have remarked an 
analogy between the light of the two great 
Luminaries, and the colour of the two precious 
metals, gold and silver. This is partly, no doubt, 
fanciful and poetical, but nevertheless it is 
remarkable enough that it should exist at all : 
such a coincidence being entirely casual and 
fortuitous in its nature. 

The silvery light of the Moon is quite proverbial. 
For this reason the moon in India is Chandra, 
from Chand, silver. And in Persian poetry she is 
" the silvery orb," tasht-i-simin* 

* If Bacchus and Ariadne are a mythological fable of the Sun 



212 

The sun is sometimes called in Persian Zartushti, 
or tasht-i-zer, the golden orb; (zer, gold, tasht, a 
disk). 

And in honour of the sun, I conceive, was 
named the celebrated philosopher Zerdusht, whom 
the Greeks have called Zoroaster, retaining the 
first part of the name, but altering the second 
into Arlpov: equivalent in their language to the 
Persian tasht, an orb or disk. 

In heraldry yelloiv and white receive the names 
of or and argent — and this is not purely fanciful 
— there is a real original connexion between the 
names and ideas. 

Argentum is surely related to the Greek word 
for " white," viz. Apyevvog. 

And the etymology of Gold is pretty certain, 
viz. that it means the yellow metal. (Vide the 
preceding article.) 

In the article Yide I have shewn how probable 
it is that that ancient word signified the Sun ; 
and it appears that several archaeologists are of 
the same opinion — viz. that it is identical with 



and Moon, as some suppose, the name of the goddess may be 
from the Celtic Arian, silver. 

Lucina, a name of Diana, may be related to \evKt], white. At 
any rate, Leucothea distinctly means " the white goddess " — 
Homer himself sings of this divinity. 



213 

the Breton name of the luminary, Heol. For 
this differs little or nothing from Iol or Yol, the 
Northern or Scandinavian name for Yule. 

But I now wish to observe that the above 
considerations point out a very simple and satis- 
factory origin for these Celtic and Northern 
words (Heol, Iol, Yule, &c.) themselves. 

Why should the Sun have those names ? I 
answer: — because they meant, the Golden Orb, or 
the golden deity or Being.* 

Thus then we are led to the idea that the 
Sun, Gold, and the colour Yellow had once the 
same name.f 

I will add a few miscellaneous remarks tending 
to the same conclusion. 

Although the Greek rfkiog may have sounded 
Helio (resembling the Breton Heol), yet the 
Homeric form of the word, without the aspirate, 
rjsT^iog, must have come very near to the sound 
of Yelio or Yellio : a sound much resembling 
our English Yellow. 

* So the Gallic or Celtic sun-god Belenus is named from 
his yellow hair, according to Botidoux. Melen is yellow, in 
Celtic, but in that language M and B are easily permutable, 

f I was not aware that this idea had previously occurred 
to any one, until I found it briefly alluded to by that acute 
philologist Thomson, who expressly says in his work that 
yellow signifies Szm-coloured. 



214 

The Orange-tree is called in Anglo-Sax. the 
Sun-tree (Sun-treow) because its fruit has the 
colour of the sun. 

The Anglo-Saxons seem very anciently to have 
called the sun Gyl, or Gyld, or even Gold. For 
we read in a hymn, gyl sunne, let the sun shine. 
And Gyld or Gold meant an Idol in Anglo-Sax. 
(see Bos worth's Dictionary) ; and what idol so 
likely as the image of the Sun ?* 

The beautiful Grecian fable of King Midas, 
whose touch turned every thing to gold, has been 
explained by a learned commentator on Pindar 
in a manner so simple and satisfactory, and withal 
so truly in the taste of the earliest mythological 
poetry, that I cannot hesitate to believe it. The 
King Midas is the Sun : (whether the same as 
Mithras or not is dubious, but they resemble 
much). It is the touch of the Sun, which turns 
every thing to gold. — At first only a bold metaphor, 
perhaps of the earliest Phrygian poetry, it after- 
wards was understood literally, and gradually 
acquired the semblance of an historical fact. 



* I am not confident of this last remark, seeing that the 
Anglo-Saxon verb gyldan, to worship : gild, worship, requires 
another etym. and may be related to the Latin cultus. 



215 

Elysium. 

The Elysian fields are called in Anglo-Sax. 
the fields of the sun (Sun-feld). It is possible 
therefore that Elysium may be derived from an 
ancient word El or Hx signifying the sun, and 
related to f H?uo£. 

Here it may be observed that Hx or Ix was 
one of the great deities of the Phoenicians, and 
was probably no other than the Sun. 

Sun. 

In Latin Sol. In Danish, Swedish, and Ice- 
landic it is also Sol; and it is of the greatest 
importance to remark, that there is no reason 
whatever to suppose the word borrowed from the 
Latins — for in Anglo-Sax. also, one of the months 
was Sol-monath ; and the Sunflower was called 
Sol-scece, the sun-seeker, or sun-follower.* Be- 
sides Sol is masculine in Latin, which I believe 
is feminine in Swedish. 

But in English, German, &c. the luminary is 
named Sun, Sunne, Sonne, and so forth. And it 



* Although there is not the slightest prima facie reason for 
doubting the derivation of Sunflower from flower, yet it possibly 
may be contracted from its ancient title of Sunfollower — Or, both 
etymologies may be true ones, as often happens. 



216 

is worth inquiry, whether this is the same name 
as Sol, or radically different from it? Surely it 
is highly improbable a priori that they should 
be wholly different words.* 

What is the etymology of Sol? The other 
northern words Heol, Iol, Jol, Yule, &c. seem to 
claim it as one of their family. 

These are all related, as I have shewn (page 
213), to terms denoting yellow or gold, as Gul, 
Gel, Giallo, Jol, or Jaul.f 

Admitting therefore that Sol likewise signified 
the colour yelloiv or the colour of gold, I think 
that Sun was derived from it as follows. 

Golden, brazen, wooden, &c. acquire a final N 
when employed as adjectives derived from the 
primitives gold, brass, wood, &c. And a final NE 
in German, at least in the feminine gender 
(which die Sonne is), as for instance goldne, silberne, 
&c. 

Sol then signifying yellow or gold, we may rea- 
sonably suppose that the derived form Solne (the 
golden) once existed. 



* As they would be, for instance, if the derivation of the Sun 
from the verb to shine, was true. 

f This last word Jaul is given, as the presumed root of the 
old French jaulne, now jaune. 



217 

We have then, Sol, Solne, and by contraction 
Sonne or Sun; nearly as Jaul, Jaulne, and by 
contraction Jaime in modern French. 

Other similar examples of contraction might be 
adduced, as for instance, the measure called an 
Ell in English, but in Latin and old, French as 
follows: — Ell, Ulna, Aulne, Aune. 

And so from Mola, a mill, we have in French 
Meunier, a miller. (Mol, meun; like Sol, sun.) 

Another word on the etymology of Sol. The 
Latin S often answers to H in Welsh,* as Sal, 
salt, Hal: Sen,-f old, Hen. 

Well then, according to this analogy, Sol should 
be Hoi in Welsh : and we find that it is really 
named Haul. The agreement is satisfactory, and 
affords almost convincing proof that all these 
ancient names of the sun (including Sol) are but 
the same word in different dialects. 

In the course of this article I have had occasion 
to suggest that Sol very anciently signified Gold, 
either in Latin or in some connected dialect, and 
this not by way of metaphor (as when the alchy- 
mists called that metal Sol), but that it was the 



* As it does to the aspirate in Greek, as Sylva, uArj : sex, !£ ; 
septem, eirra. 

f Sen, viz. the root of Senior, Senectus. 

2 F 



218 

actual name by which it was known. There is 

nothing surprising in this, for the interchange of 

G and S is not uncommon, so that Gold would 

easily become Sold in another dialect. Indeed 

the old German name Colt is intermediate. But 

here a very curious remark may be made, viz. 

that if in truth Sold signified Gold, it affords the 

easiest and most natural explanation possible why 

the gold coin of the later empire was called the 

Solidus. For the Aureus and the Solidus were 

the same. Afterwards, owing to the depreciation 

of the currency, the Solidus was of silver — like 

the German Gulden, which in despite of its name 

is a silver coin. 

And as Geld, money; vergelten, to repay, &c. 

are derived in German from Gold ; so we have 

Ital. saldare, soldare, to pay, from the primitive 

Sold. 

Marigold. 

This flower is called in French Souci: — a name 

of which it would be difficult to guess the origin 

without the aid of Etymology. But in old French 

it was written Soulsi, abridged from its ancient 

name Solsequium (the sun-follower). For this was 

the Sun-flower of the ancients, before the present 

race of sun-flowers were known, which are natives 

of America. 



219 

It was also called in old French, Herbe du 
Soleil, Or de clitie, and gonde (derived from gold). 
Another old name was Sponsa Solis. This, and 
Or de clitie both allude to the fable of Clytie 
beloved by Apollo and changed into a sun-flower. 
(See Ovid's Metamorphoses.) 

What was the origin of that fable? 

It is remarkable that the name of the Mary gold 
answers to Sponsa Solis ; for, as we have seen in 
the preceding articles, Gold and Sol were originally 
the same name ; and Mariee means Sponsa. 

Page. 

Ital. Paggio. From the Greek Ilaihov. 

Di often becomes Gi in Italian, as diurnum, 
giorno. 

This observation, by the way, serves to illus- 
trate the connexion between the Italian name 
for the Supreme Being, Dio, and Gio the first 
syllable of Giove ; or Ju the first syllable of 
Jupiter, i. e. pater Ju. 

And also the connexion between Deus and 
Jeus or Zsug. For as Zvyov sounded jugum in 
Latin, Zsug probably sounded Jeus. 

to Invest (a fortress). 
Perhaps from the old German Vest, a castle 
or fortress ; Hitter-vest, a Knight's stronghold. 



220 

Most likely it has nothing to do with the verb 
to invest, or clothe with a garment. 

Dairy. 

Some have endeavoured to shew that Dai 
anciently signified Milk. If so, the origin of 
the word dairy would be established. But better 
proof is wanting. Perhaps a dairy farm comes 
from the French metairie, a farm, shortened into 
tairie.*' 

Entire. 

It is curious that when we speak of " Whit- 



* Words of too great length are sometimes curtailed, as ink 
for inchiostro ; cab for cabriolet. 

It would be well if some convenient abbreviations were 
discovered for such words as ratiocination, eleemosynary, paraU 
lelopipedon, veterinary , supererogative, &c. 

Our ancestors would have shortened all these words, a faculty 
which we have lost, owing to the march of refinement. We 
venture not to soften the sound, or simplify the orthography 
of the Greek words we adopt : we do not even do it to the 
extent we might without subjecting ourselves to the school- 
master's rod ; for instance, instead of Zoological, it would have 
been more elegant, and certainly more convenient, to have said 
Zological, for the Greek primitive is Zo, as may be seen in 
Zwyoa^oc, a painter from the life ; Zwypuv, to catch alive ; 
ZtoSlov, a living creature, whence the Zodiac, or circle of figures 
or forms of living creatures, viz. the twelve constellations : in 
German Thier-kreise. Would you say the Zoodiac? If not, 
then why say Zoological ? 



221 

bread's Entire'' &c. we use a most classical phrase. 
It is the Merum of the Romans, frequently 
translated Wine ; and, indeed, that is what it 
means. 

But Merum never meant Wine originally, nor 
anything of the kind. It meant Entire: that is, 
sincere, genuine, unmixed. In the same way the 
Greeks called wine, Axparov, that is, unmixed. 

Merely. 

This word formerly signified entirely, from the 
Latin merus, entire. Thus in Shakspeare's Tem- 
pest, Act i. Scene 1 : — 

" We are merely cheated of our lives." 

The modern use of the word (which is very 
different) arises thus : — Integer, whole or entire, 
is nearly related in meaning to single and simplex : 
so that " I merely wished to say " means " I simply 
wished to say." " I merely meant," is " I meant 
nothing else than" So " merum vinuni," means 
"nothing else than wine." 

Emerald. 

A tolerable etym. might be found in the Welsh 
language, viz. Em, a gem ; Eiriaid, splendid, or 



222 

glowing like fire. But this is a better description 
of a carbuncle.* 

Em, in Welsh, seems the same word with the 
Latin Gemma. 



With more probability, however, the word may 

be viewed as related to the Greek apapucrG-siv, 

to shine. 

Errand. 

Anglo-Sax. JErend : Swed. Arende ; an errand 
or embassy. 

This word was often used in a very honourable 
sense, as for instance, JErend-gast, an Angel, 
literally " messenger-spirit." Mrend-racan, the 
Apostles ( A7too-toXo/, or messengers). 

Herald. 

This word may have been anciently Her and, 
since LD is sometimes changed for ND.f 

Herand may be the same as the ancient word 
jErend, ambassador or messenger. Norse, Eirendi, 
an embassy. 



* Carbuncle, literally a little glowing coal, dimin. of carlo, a 
coal. The Germans have altered it into karfunkel, evidently in 
order to make it correspond with their own verb funkeln, to 
sparkle, emit flashes of light. 

t Ex. gr. Alter, Germ. Ander. Tent, Germ. Zelt. 



223 

Harbinger. 

Derived by Johnson and others from Herberg, 
a lodging ; as if it meant " a person who provides 
lodgings." 

It is very difficult to believe that this ancient 
and poetical word could have had such a mean 
origin. It is sufficiently contradicted by the fol- 
lowing examples taken from our greatest poets, 
in which there is not a vestige of any such meaning. 

Make all our trumpets speak, give them all breath, 
Those clamorous harbingers of blood and death. 

Shakesp. 

Misery, 

Death's harbinger. Milton. 

till the evening star, 

Love's harbinger, appeared. Milton. 

The true origin of the term Harbinger is perhaps 
not difficult to assign, although it has been hitherto 
overlooked. It comes from the ancient word Har, 
a message : whence Har-bringer is one who brings* 
a message, a herald or avant-courier. In Bos- 
worth's Anglo-Sax. Dictionary we find ; — 

Ar : one going before, a messenger. 



* The omission of the R is common enough, ex. gr. sprechen, 
to speak: piquer, to prick; perdix, F. perdrix ; irpori, iron, &c. 

Bing for Bring, is not unlike Finch (Germ. Fink), from Fringa 
or Fringilla. 



224 

" Thes Ar scegeth" — this messenger sayeth. 

Related to the Gothic Aim, messengers. The 
origin of these words (signifying fore-runner, 
avant-courier, precursor, &c.) may possibly be 
found in the Anglo-Sax. particle JEr, before; 
in English, Ere; Goth. Air. 

JErend, an errand, is probably another derivative 
from it. (See the last article.) 

Constable. 

Usually derived from Count of the Stable. I 
believe this etym. may be shewn to be correct, 
although at first sight some may think it very 
questionable. The title is tantamount to Com- 
mander of the Cavalry. 

In France, the Connetable was the first military 
officer of the Crown, who had the general command 
of the Army. And the Lord High Constable in 
England had high military jurisdiction. 

The dignity of Marechal de France appears to 
have been very similar — and the title of Marechal 
is undoubtedly derived from the old Gallic word 
March, a horse, and meant " Commander of the 
Horse," i. e. Commander of the Army, or military 
force, since the cavalry constituted the principal 
and nobler part of the ancient Gallic armies. 
Brennus attacked Greece with 63,000 horse, 
according to Pausanias. 



225 

Again ; what we should call a mounted Con- 
stabulary force, was, in French, la Marechaussee* 
which (though it comes from Mareclial) is nothing 
else than the Breton word Marchaussi, a stable. 
Here then we have at once a troop of mounted 
horsemen called "a stable," so that there is no 
impropriety in the leader of the band being termed 
" a Constable:' 

The constable's staff is a relic of his former dig- 
nity. So in French, " le baton de mareclial" or 
simply "le baton" indicated the highest rank in 
the army. 

A Staff is indeed a very ancient emblem of 
authority. It is used in that sense in the Egyptian 
hieroglyphics. — When its length was found too 
inconvenient, it was shortened to a truncheon, 
(tronpon from truncare), emblematic of the same 
dignity. 

A Staff Officer is named from hence. 

Methought this staff, mine office badge in court, 
Was broke in twain. Shakspeare. 

All his officers broke their staves, but at their return new 
staves were delivered unto them. 

Hayward. 



* Marshalsea comes from Marechaussee in another sense 
which it has, viz. the jurisdiction of a Marshal. 

2 G 



226 

Martial. 

Martial, in the sense of "warlike," is hardly 
an ancient word. It is derived from Mars, bnt 
is not the term which the Romans used. They 
said Martins for "warlike," or "bellicose." 

Martialis meant " belonging to Mars" in a 
personal sense : as his priest, the Flamen Martialis. 

There was, however, a reason, hitherto unper- 
ceived, as far as I know, which induced the 
moderns to prefer the latter term, although not 
so accurate as the former. 

And it was this : — that their ears were already 
accustomed to a word identical in sound to Martial, 
and very similar to it in sense — I mean the word 
Marshal. 

Take, for instance, the following sentence : — 
" He was tried by a court-martial, and executed 
by the -proxost-marshal." 

In this phrase it would be contrary indeed to 
modern usage, but it would be no great violence 
to the spirit of our language, if we were to trans- 
pose the epithets, and say " He was tried by a 
court-marshal (or by the Marshal's court : for the 
Marshal had supreme military jurisdiction), and he 
was executed by the provost-martial." 

Is this an accidental resemblance of words? 
Probably not. It is far more likely that the words 



227 

Mars and Marshal may have some original con- 
nexion. Let us trace this a little farther. 

The god of War was called Ares in the East 
of Europe, Mars in the West. I have already* 
endeavoured to shew that Ares is identical with 
the German Heer, Swed. Hdr (an army, a military 
expedition), and so it is sometimes used in Greek 
also ; (ex. gr. p^iXiouauu Apr), a hostile expedition 
of a thousand ships). 

Now, the Cavalry were the flower of the Gallic 
armies ; and the words Marchek (a Cavalier), 
Marshal, to March, &c. all come from the old 
Gallic word March, a horse. The Marshal 
(Marechal) was the Commander in Chief of the 
Army ; does it not follow that " the March " sig- 
nified the Armyf\ and that Mar dial law was 
the law that was in force on the March, i. e. while 
the expedition or campaign lasted, and was laid 
aside as soon as that was over, and the booty 
distributed ? If so, then the Gallic March was 
identical with the German Heer, and if the latter 
gave its name to Ares, the name of Mars may 
be connected with the former. 



* See the article Warfare, 

t Or rather, perhaps, the predatory expedition, the army in 
movement. 



228 



Hurly-hurly. 

When the hurly-burly's done, 
When the battle 's lost and won. 

Macbeth. 

No good etym. of this word has been given. 
But the mention of battle in immediate connexion 
with it, in the passage of Shakspeare, leads me to 
think that the word originally signified the noise 
and tumult of war. That Hurly meant in Old 
English "a battle," I think likely, from a com- 
parison of the following words : — 

War, in old German is Urling or Urlenge ; in 
Swed. Orlig. 

A Battle, in Anglo-Sax. Orleg, Piatt D. Or y lich. 

In many other words the ending ig or ich has 
been softened into y — ex. gr. mannig, many ; 
pfennig, 'penny. 

Hurry-scurry. 

The first part of this word presents no difficulty 
— the meaning of the second part has, however, 
escaped Johnson and others. It is from the verb 
to scour or scur, i. e. to run hither and thither 
in confusion. 

The enemy's drum is heard, and fearful scouring 
Doth choke the air with dust. Shaksp. 



229 



Peas-cod. 

The seed-vessel or capsule of the pea. From 
Anglo-Sax. Cod, a bag. Resembles the Greek 
word Kto&a or Kcofisia, the capsule of a poppy. 
Theophrastus gives that name to the seed-vessel 
of the Egyptian Lotus, the Egyptian bean, &c. 
He says of the latter : Eth ™ xotoXcp >J xoohux.. 

Glass. 

This word probably comes from the Celtic 
Glds, green or bluish green — for that is the colour 
of the common sort of glass, especially when seen 
in considerable thicknesses. What chiefly inclines 
me to this etymology is the fact that in French 
verve (glass), and vert (green) have the same 
sound. Examining this a little further we see 
that vert comes from viridis, and verve from 
vitrum ; but there is no reason why vitrum 
and viridis should not belong to the same root. 

Since writing this I have found some evidence 
of another kind. The herb Woad, used for dyeing, 
was known to the Romans by two names, Glastum 
and Vitrum ; both of which have a reference to 
"glass." But glastum is undoubtedly from the 
Celtic glas (bluish-green). 

Vitrum is thus mentioned by Caesar: 



230 

" Omnes vero se Britanni vitro inficiunt, quod 
cceruleum efficit colorem." 

Facciolati says : " Vitrum ; an herb so called 
because it tinges things of the colour of glass, 
that is, green"* So that he agrees with me in 
referring vitrum and viridis to the same root. 

On the other hand, however, Crystal is from 
Kpo-TaXAo£ (ice), which is from Kpuog, intense 
cold, frost, &c. And therefore we may perfectly 
well derive Glass from glacies (ice). In con- 
siderable thicknesses of ice, however, the same 
bluish-green tint is seen, so that perhaps the two 
etymologies come to the same thing in the end. 

Kerchief, 

Properly a covering for the head, from Ker, or 
Cur, to cover ; Chief or Chef the head. 

The same verb is found in Curfew (from 
Cur, to cover ; feu, the fire), and perhaps in 
Curtain. 

A Curch, short for Curchef is a covering for 
the head in Scotland. 

We have strangely and carelessly corrupted 
the word kerchief, first into handkerchief then 
into 'pocket-handkerchief 

* Vitrum ; genus herbse sic dictse quia tingit colore vitri, 
hoc est viridi. 



231 



Curtain. 

Cortina in Spanish and Portuguese — and it is 
nearly certain that cortina in Latin meant the 
same thing. (Cceli cortina. Ennius.) The ety- 
mology seems to be this : — 

Coverta, a covering, shortened into Corta, Curta : 
— thence the diminutive Cortina. 

Prince. 

A Prince is called in German Furst (which is 
our word first), because he is first in rank and 
authority.* For the same reason there is an 
analogy between Ap^ij, a beginning, and Ap%cov, 
a Ruler ; and between principium, a beginning, 
and Princeps, a Prince. 

Chef, in old French, signifies the Head, whence 
our word a Chief. The Latin Princeps therefore 
signifies "first chief" or "supreme head."f He 
was the Princhef (to adopt the Gallic spelling). 

Now, Princhef would easily be shortened into 
Princh: (upon the same principle as kerchief Scotice 



* Furst or first is the superlative from/wr ox fir, equivalent to 
Germ, vor: Engl. fore. We say "first mid foremost," although 
both of these words are in fact synonymous. 

f Compare the analogous forms, biceps, triceps, praeceps. 



232 

curch ; vide that article, p. 230). And from 
Princ/i we have Germ. Prinz, Engl. Prince, and 
in the language of Bretagne, Brens. 

It is this last word I more particularly wish to 
call attention to. If we admit it to be an ancient 
word (and there is no reason to doubt its being 
as old as Princeps, which is but the same word in 
another dialect), then I think that it accounts at 
once for the singular fact of the Gallic armies 
having been at different and distant times com- 
manded by Brennus. It was the title of their 
leader, not his name. He was no doubt addressed 
by his soldiers as Brens I or Prince! and this 
may have misled those who did not understand 
the Gallic language.* 

While on this subject I may take the oppor- 
tunity of remarking that on one occasion, in very 
ancient times, the victorious Gauls were led by 
Bellovesus and Sigovesus. Some authors have sup- 
posed this to be merely an Allegory, and a play 
upon the words, Bellum, war, and the German Sieg, 



* I am aware that some have proposed the Welsh brenhin, 
a king, as the true etymology. But whence is the word brenhin 
derived ? May it not be originally from the same root ? And 
the word which I have suggested is certainly closer in sound to 
Brennus. 



233 

victory. It may be objected that these two words 
belong to different languages, and also, that the 
latter half of the names, vesus, has no meaning 
in either language. — I would therefore suggest 
that perhaps the story may only mean, that the 
tribe of Gauls called the Bellovaci were the 
leaders, or were posted in the van of the army. 
That tribe inhabited the district now called, from 
them, Beauvais, but of course it does not follow 
that they were then in any way connected with 
that part of the country, since they may have 
subsequently and long afterwards settled there. 

Bogle. 

Bogle, or Bogill; a phantom or goblin (Scotice). 

In Breton we find Bughel-nos, a phantom; 
(literally, child of the night). But I doubt whether 
this is really derived from Bughel, a child, although 
Pelletier says it is. I would rather refer it to 
the Welsh bugul or bwgiul, a terrifying. 

The explanation " child " may, however, be 
defended in one way, viz. by remarking that 
Bogill also means a mannikin, i. e. a little figure 
dressed up as a man to frighten the birds away • 
a scarecrow. 

Bogill-bo, in Scotch means a hobgoblin, but in 
Lincolnshire a scarecrow, according to Skinner. 

2h 



234 

From thence came the expression bug-a-boo 9 an 
empty terror. 

A Bugbear is nearly the same in origin with 
the last, and is related to Welsh bug or bwg, a 
scarecrow. 

Inert. 

I have already attempted an etym. of this Latin 
word; but I perceive that the Welsh language 
offers one which is more direct, and therefore 
more probable. 

Nerth is strength, and the contrary of it is 
Annerth, or weakness, which gives us the Latin 
Inertia at once, merely substituting the negative 
particle In, used by the Romans, for A or An 
used by the Welsh and Greeks. 

Barrow. 

In the sense of "a pig," is the Anglo-Sax. 
bearh or bearg, and the Latin verres. 

Related to the verb to farrow ; and the Anglo- 
Sax, fearh, fcerh, a little pig. 

Mealy-mouthed. 

(See the former article on this word.) Another 
etym. may however be suggested. The French 
Miel, honey, may have been formerly used in 
English also, so that meal-mouthed (such is the 



235 

ancient spelling) may have meant miel-mouthed, 
that is honey-mouthed. This conjecture is sup- 
ported by the French expressions mielleux and 
doucereUcV applied to conversation, as, un ton 
mielleux. And also by the Greek [A£i7u%oyr)fvg, 
[xsi7<i^o<pa)vog, and 7rpo<rauSav [xsiTh^iokti (subaud. 
eireo-i), II. 4, 256, which are derived from peTa, 
honey. And so in Latin, from mulsus or mulseus 
(sweet as honey) we have the verb mulceo. 
Plautus has " Mea Ampelisca, ut dulcis es ! ut 
midsa dicta dicis !" And again, " Ut mulsa loquitur!" 
In the former article on this word I proposed to 
derive it at once from ^"Ki^u^og. I do not 
know whether that compound is found anywhere ; 
but Homer has fJLsiXi%io$ ^uSog. 

Piece-meal. 

By small portions at a time. Torn or broken 
into little pieces. 

From the Anglo-Sax. Mcsl, a part or portion, 
ex. gr. Thusend mcelum, in a thousand parts. Bit- 
mcelum, adv. piece-meal. Instead of which dcel- 
mcelum and stice-mcdum are also used. (Bosw.) 



This Saxon word Mcel, a portion, gives rise to 
etymological doubts of no ordinary difficulty. — In 
the first place it seems evidently to be the Greek 



236 

Ms'Xog (a part or member), as, crcpa^ag olutov xoli xoltol 
[jlsXsol SisXcou ; slaying him and dividing the body 
piece-meal, or limb from limb, (Herod. I. 119.) 

— cutting him piecemeal. {Homer.) 

But Mehog has another signification (viz. a song 
or melody) : and ought this to be referred to the 
same Teutonic radical Mai, apiece, or ought it not? 

In modern languages we frequently say, a pretty 
piece of music, joli morceau, bel pezzo, &c. And 
no doubt this form of expression is very ancient: 
so that however different these two senses of 
Mshog may seem at first, yet they may have been 
originally the same. 

And this opinion is strongly corroborated by the 
two German words Glied, a member or portion, 
and Lied, a song, being so very similar to each other. 

Membrum and KcoXov (a limb) are said of the 
parts of a discourse or speech. The same meta- 
phor may have been applied to poetry and song, 
so that pehea (pieces of music) may be really 
the same word as {jlsXeol (morsels). 



The next point of doubt, is whether the Greek 
term MrjXa, a flock of sheep or goats, ought to be 
viewed as related to the same Anglo-Saxon word 
Med, a piece, or not. If it is not so related, it is 



237 

certainly a very remarkable casual coincidence that 
the Germans should say, ein stuck vieh, that is, a 
piece of cattle, meaning one individual of the flock 
or herd. 

If the word MyXa meant sheep exclusively, 
this would be more doubtful; but Homer uses it 
indifferently for sheep or goats. 

~Ev$a 8s woXka 

MtjA', o'isg rs koli aiysg. 

Od. I. 183. 

Ta)v aisi a-<piu sxa,(TTog £7r r^ari [xrjT^ou ayivsi 

ZoLTps<psa)u aiycov oo-Ttg (poLivrjrai apKrrog. 

Od. §. 105. 

Where it seems plainly to mean, ein Stuck, 
one head, as we should say. 

And this is still more confirmed by what 
Phrynichus says: — "The ancients call all quad- 
rupeds MTjAa." It was not therefore the generic 
name of any animal, but a denomination of another 
kind, such as " cattle" or " head of cattle," or 
something of that sort. 

The French have exactly the same expression, 
and say Pieces de detail, as the Germans say 
Stuck : as, " Ce fermier a tant de pieces de betail " 
— pour dire, tant de boeufs — tant de vaches, &c* 

* Diet, de l'Acad. 



238 

And this is extended to other animals ; as, " Ces 
chevaux-la coutent cent ecus piece" or "cent 
ecus la piece" " Ce chasseur a tue dix pieces" 

Once. 

This adverb is an old genitive absolute, like the 
Greek vuxrog (in the night-time, or by night) : or 
the Anglo-Saxon, dceges and nilites (by day and 
night), &c. &c. 

Germ. JEin, (one), makes the genitive, eines, 
(ones, or Once.) 

The substantive Weile, time, being understood; 
ex. gr. nom. one-while ; gen. once-whiles. 

Germ. Einst ; Gothic, Ains; and Holl. Eens, 
signify Once. 

Nonce. 

" A house built for the nonce" — Carew. 

i. e. for that single occasion : — for that purpose 
alone. 

Johnson observes that Once is used sometimes 
almost as a substantive, as we say " this once" 
" that once." It is probable, therefore, that "for 
the nonce" is a careless corruption of "for then 
once :" then being another form of the Teutonic 
article den (the) in the oblique case, governed by 
the preposition for, 



239 

Kidnapper. 
From Germ. Kind, a child, and Swed. nappa, 
to catch. This verb is related to our verb to 
snap, or snap up. 

to Bathe. 
To Bathe, and a Bath. Germ. Bad. Related 
to the Greek Ba7rra>, omitting the P, or pro- 
nouncing it BaTTan 

to Cut. 

Related to Fr. Qouteau* and the Greek Ko7tto) 
(dropping the letter P). But Komg, a sword, 
or great knife, and the Fr. Couper, are from the 
same verb, omitting the letter T. Quick pronun- 
ciation was the cause why one of the consonants 
was slurred over, and ultimately omitted and 
forgotten, when people had few written books, 
which in modern times serve to keep the ortho- 
graphy fixed and constant. Thus in TLroTiSfjiaiog, 
the Italians pronounce only the T and write 
Tolomeo. Uria-avrj has become Tisane in French: 
and I have no doubt that the Urs'ksa of the Greeks 
— a beautiful and shady tree — has become the 
Tilia of the Latins. 



* Lat. Cultellus, thence Cultel, Couteau. But Cultellus is a 
diminutive from Culter, a knife (quasi Cutter). 



240 



to Sap. 

To Sap. A Sapper and Miner. 

From the Italian Zappare, to dig. Related to 
the Greek %x<x7tt£iv, omitting the T in the last 
syllable. 

The Shaft of a mine may perhaps be derived 
from the same verb. 

to Dip : to Dive. 

The same as the Greek Awn-ru, which has both 
those senses. The T in the last syllable is omitted, 
as in the former examples. 

Raft. 
A Raft (perhaps from the Greek Yoltttsw, to 
connect together), is the Latin Ratis ; Fr. Radeau, 
a float hastily constructed in order to pass a 
river : — 

Pado ratibus trajecto. — Lwy. 

Rope. 

Anglo-Sax. Rap ; Germ. Reif 

Related perhaps to the same verb Ycltttuv, 
omitting the letter T in the last syllable, as in 
several of the preceding examples. 



241 

to Ask. 

To Ask (vulgo to Ax). It is curious that the 
original pronunciation of this word seems to have 
been retained among the common people only. 

The Anglo-Saxons said both Axian and Ahsan. 
The Greeks said A§ko (I ask). 

Axiom. 

From the Greek A^ko^ol. 

An Axiom, in Mathematics, (from A^iow, to 
ask) appears to be a literal translation of Postulate, 
that is, Demand, or thing required to be granted 
or given before any further reasoning can be 
proceeded with. 

Flaw. 

A Flaw, seems related to the Greek 4>Xaco, to 

break. 

Ball. Bowl. Bullet. 

All from the Greek BaAXew, to throw. 

Pill. Pellet, to Pelt. 

Lat. Pila is a ball, and also a physician's pill. 

Pellet is a diminutive from pila. 

Fr. Pelote, a little ball : pelote de neige^ a 
snowball. Peloton, a snowball ; Peloter, to throw 
snowballs. Hence our verb to Pelt 



2 i 



242 

Platoon. 

The French say, " Quelques pelotons d'infan- 
terie ;" " Faire feu par pelotons ;" meaning, a 
small body of troops. 

Pelote is properly a ball. Thence metaphori- 
cally, a cluster, group, or knot of people. " La 
pelote se grossit," the crowd is increasing. More 
fully enunciated the phrase would be, " La 
troupe se grossit comme une pelote de neige."* 

Thence peloton, a ball, a glomus, a cluster, a 
dense and compact body of any kind. 

So the Latins say globus armatorum, a small 

body of soldiers ; globus conjurationis, a knot of 

conspirators.f 

Pile. 

A heap ; an accumulation. — Johnson. 

That is the way to lay the city flat, 
And bury all in heaps and piles of ruin. 

Shakspeare. 



* Diet, de l'Acad. 

f As we say to amass riches, that is, to heap them together ; 
so pelote means a fortune, or a good sum of money collected 
together. 

" Elle a fait sa pelote," means " she has made her fortune." 
I suppose the resemblance of this word to irXovrog may be 
casual. 



243 



What piles of wealth hath he accumulated 

To his own portion ! how, i' th' name of thrift, 

Does he rake this together ? 

Shakspeare. 

As glomerare (to conglomerate, amass, or heap 
together) is from glomus or globus (a hall) ; so a 
Pile, that is, a heap or mass of things, comes 
originally from the Latin Pila, a ball. 

to Compile. 

Johnson derives this verb from the Latin 
Compilare. 

But to compile, in English, means simply to 
collect together the materials for a literary work. 

Ex. gr. " The face of sea and land is the 
same that it was when those accounts were 
compiled." — Woodward. 

Originally the verb "to compile" only meant "to 
pile together."* 

This being the case, it is evident that the 
Latin compilare is a totally different word; for 
that verb means to steal, and comes from pilare, 
to steal ; whence also the words pillage and 
pilferer, and the French piller, to plunder. 



* Johnson admits that Compilement is " the act of piling 
together ; the act of heaping up." 



244 

to Look. 

To Look is related to the Greek Aeua-o-eiv, to 
see, and also to the Latin Lux, the eye. 

Lueg ! is Look ! in the Swabian dialect, which 
much resembles English in many other words 
and phrases. 

to Hobble. 

To Hobble along, is to walk very unsteadily, 
lamely, or awkwardly. Johnson and others de- 
rive it from to Hop. But surely that is rather 
a verb of activity. Perhaps it is the same as 
to Wabble* which Johnson explains, " to move 
from side to side," and Thomson, "to vacillate 
or totter." 

Plough-tail. 

The Plough-handle, f From the old word, 
Stail, a handle ; Germ. Stiel ; Gr. XreiXsiov (the 
handle of an Axe). 

Homer. 

The word Tail appears to be in some measure 

related to this. The Head of an Axe is its 

cutting part, and by the same metaphor its Tail 

would be the hinder part, by which it is held. 

* Dropping the initial W; as in Worm, Swed. Orm. 
\ Germ, Pflug-sterz (Sterz, the tail). 



245 

So also the hole in the iron which admits the 
handle is called in German its Ear (das Ohr) ; 
the sharp edge is called its mouth (g-to^ol. 7ts- 
T^sKug (jLovoG-TOfjiog, oia-ro^og) ; and so we say the 
teeth of a saw, the eye of a needle, &c. In 
German Stiel signifies both a handle^ a tail, and 
the stalk of a plant or flower. In Danish, Stiert 
is both a tail and a handle. So that the meta- 
phor seems to be one pretty generally acknow- 
ledged and adopted. 

The Start Point. 

In Devonshire. From Anglo-Sax. Steort a 

promontory. 

Red-start. 

The name of a bird. It means Red-tail:* 
from the Anglo-Sax. steort, the tail ; Germ, sterz ; 

Dan. stiert. f 

to Steer. The Stem. 

To Steer (Lat. gnbernare) is the Anglo-Sax. 
styran or steoran ; Germ, steuern ; Holl. sturen ; 
Dan. styre. 



* A bird of the same name (viz. Phoenicurus) is mentioned by 
Pliny. 

f Holl. slaart, the hinder part; hence, a starting for a flogging 
in nautical language. 



246 

The Stern of a ship is the Anglo-Sax. steam, 
or stear-setl, &c. 

These two words are closely connected. They 
are derived, I think, from the word Star; Germ. 
stern ; Anglo-Sax. steorra ; Goth, stairno ; Dan. 
stierne ; and even in the Celtic languages nearly 
the same; viz. Breton, steren ; Gaelic, steorn. 

This etym. seems probable, because the ancients 
steered by the stars, and principally by the North 
Star. 

The rudder is in Anglo-Sax. steor-rothcr ; a 
steersman is steor-man ; and steora is a guide, 
steerer, j>ilot. 

Is this word connected, or not, with the Anglo- 
Sax, word Steort, the hinder part of anything? 

A fair wind. 

Germ. Fahr-wind* from fakren, to carry or 
drive, because it carries or drives the ship rapidly 
onwards. 

There may be fair weather, and plenty of wind, 
and yet the ship may not have a fair wind ; 
which evidently shews that fair bears another 
sense, when applied to the wind ; and therefore 
I conclude that we must have unconsciously 
adopted the German word above mentioned. 



Equivalent to yunstigcr Wind; the Greek ovpog. 



247 

On the other hand it is possible that the 
English phrase may be the original one, and the 
German be corrupted from it. 

Figures (in Arithmetic). 

In the course of a former article fc (p. 187) I 
observed that " counting on the fingers was the 
first arithmetic. For that reason the ten figures 
we employ are called the ten digits, i. e. fingers." 

But I omitted to add that there is reason to 
believe that our ancestors, when speaking of 
Arithmetic or Numeration, did not say " the ten 
figures" — but " the ten fingers? 

Several reasons may be adduced for such a 
supposition. 

(1.) The literal translation in English of " the 
ten digits" would be "fingers? and not "figures" 

(2.) The Latin word Figura appears never to 
have had any such meaning. 

(3.) There seems no reason why the ten cha- 
racters employed in arithmetic should be called 
figures (that is, forms or shapes) more than the 
twenty or thirty others which are employed in 
writing. 

(4.) The adding or omitting the letter N before 
G or C is exceedingly common: ex. gr. to sting, 
from (tti%ew, Germ, stechen, (to prick or punc- 



248 

ture). And so also Xa%eiv, Xa-y%aveiv ; locusta, 
Sp. langosta ; T^si-^w, lingua, &c. &c. 

So that the word fingers would be very easily 
corrupted into figures, when the former term 
appeared strange, or was grown obsolete. 

to Gallop. 

To Gallop is the Greek 'KaT^wa^siv, derived 
from Ka7v7rrj, a gallop.* 

to Canter. 

Johnson and others derive this word from 
Canterbury, which I think doubtful, to say the 
least. 

Perhaps it comes from Canterius, a horse; a 
word not very often used. But Cicero says 
concerning Castor and Pollux : 

" Eos tu canteriis albis obviam Vatieno venisse 
existimas." 

And Seneca has : " M. Cato Censorius canterio 
vehebatur." 

In support of this etymology it may be noted 
that another name for a horse, KaAxTj, is appa- 
rently the origin of the verb " to gallop." (See 
the preceding article.) 



KaX-rry) also means a horse which gallops well. 



249 

to Giggle. 

Agrees perfectly in meaning with the Greek 
Ki%hi%siv ;* which Passow interprets " light 
girlish laughter." 

to Heap. 
Related to the Greek Aps7rsw ; whence Aps- 
7roLvov, a reaping-hook. 

Ripe. 
Ripe Corn ; i. e. fit to reap. Ripe fruits, fit to 
be gathered or collected or reaped: as in the 
phrase "to reap the fruits of one's own exer- 
tions :" for the verb to reap may be taken in 
the general sense of Ipewsiv, viz. to gather (de- 
cerpo, colligo), ex, gr, avSsa, opsxj/a^sva*, gathering 
flowers. 

to Tire, 
To Tire a person (i. e. weary, or wear out) is 
related to the Greek Tsipew. Tsipofxsuoi means 
tired, or worn out. 

to Dare. 
To Dare is the Greek Sappsiv. 
In this word the Old German of the Niebe- 



* This seems a verb of reduplicate form from \\evri, laughter ; 
or else from ytXato (see note to page 199). 

2 K 



250 

lungen Lied agrees with English more than 
modern German does, eoo. gr. 

He dare, N. L. tar, G. darf. 

He durst, N. L. torst, G. durft. 

Luck. 

Related to Greek Aa^sjv, to receive by lot ; 
and to the German Gliick, fortune. 

to Lick. 
To Lick is the Greek Aei%siv. 

Dew. to Bedew. 

From the Greek Aevew. 

...out avefxoiQ-i TiuoKrosrai, outs ttot o^pio 
Asustou. Homer. 

to Mash. 
To Mash is the Greek Maa-asiv. 

to Lean. 

Germ. Lehnen. Anglo-Sax. Hlinan. Gr. Kx*- 

veiv. Lat. Clino (obs.), whence Inclino and 

Reclino. 

to Step. 

Related to the Greek 'Stsi^siv, to tread. JEs- 
chylus uses o-Tifiog for a step. 



251 

to Crane. 
Related to the Greek Xp7j£sw, to want, or ask 

for. 

to Call. 

From the Greek KaXso>. 

to Bleat. 
To Bleat (of sheep) is the Greek BXTj^av, and 
the German Bloken. 

to Croak, a Crow. 

To Croak is the Greek Kpw^siv. Lat. crocio 
or crocito (used by Plautus). 

Kpw^eiv is nearly related to xpa^siv, xpauyri, 
nopal*. 

Proper. 

This word seems to be derived partly from 
the Latin Proprius ; and partly from the Greek 
verb Up£7reiv, to be fitting, decorous, or proper. 

Tlps7rei, decet, it is proper. 
Mop<$>7] 7rps7rwu means " handsome :" in old 
English proper : ex. gr. 

A proper youth, and tall. — Old Ballad. 

The properest man in Italy. — Sliaksp. 

Moses was a proper child. — Hebr. xi. 23. 



252 

Parade. 

Parade (pomp, ostentation). Partly derived 
from the Latin Apparatus, as, 

Persicos odi, puer, apparatus. — Hor. 

But the Italian Parata seems to have coalesced 
in some measure with the Teutonic Pracht 
(pomp, magnificence, parade, luxury, pride). 

Thus, what the French call "lit de parade" 
the Germans call Pracht-bett 

The parade of a thing always means its exhi- 
bition or ostentation, both in French and English; 
and never its mere preparation. I doubt, there- 
fore, its having any thing to do with the Latin 
parare, to prepare ; but it may perhaps be related 
to the French parer, to adorn, or ornament. 

Parade is, I think, related to pareo, the root 
of appareo (to be apparent, that is, to strike the 
eyes, or attract the notice), and not to paro, (to 
make ready). 



N.B. — Since writing the above remarks I find 
they are confirmed by the opinion of Bosworth,* 
that Pride is the same word with Pracht in Dutch 

* Anglo- Sax. dictionary, v. Pryt. 



253 

and German, and with the Danish Pragt; Swed. 
Prakt (parade, or pomp), and with the Old 
German Parat, magnificence; which last word is 
very important, as being almost identical in 
form with the word Parade, and yet surely not 
derived from the Latin. 

The German verb Prangen (to be brilliant, to 
make a parade or show) is also nearly related to 
the above. It was, perhaps, originally pragen 
(whence pragt, pracht, &c.) ; for the letter N is 
often inserted before G in pronunciation, as I 
remarked at page 248. 

Pride. 

Related to the German Pracht (pride, luxury, 
or magnificence). See the last article. 

Pretty. 

Germ. Praclitig (beautiful, splendid). Pretty 

seems to be derived from pride in a good sense, 

as we often say " the pride of youth," " of 

beauty," &c, " the pride of spring ; or summer," 

&c. 

to Melt, to Smelt. 

Germ. Schmelzen. A great many German 
verbs begin with Sell, which is apparently super- 
fluous, since it is dropped in other dialects. May 



254 

it not be the old German particle Ze (to), which 
has coalesced with the verb ? for instance, Z^melten 
may have meant at first "to melt," and after- 
wards have been mistaken for a single word, and 
pronounced Smelt. 

To Melt is almost the same with the Greek 
verb MeT&stv. Ex. gr. 

Kj/kto-i] [AS^ofxsvog dt7ra AoTpe<peo£ (Tiakoio. — Horn. 
The verb apcOJiuvsiv is also closely related. 

to Amerce. 
To Amerce, or deprive, is the Greek Apsfiew. 
Ex. gr. 

Homer.* 

The Teutonic languages, except the English, 
have lost this word ; but the Gaelic and Irish 
retain Meirse, a fine or amercement. 

To Amerce means to levy a fine; ex. gr. 

" They shall amerce him in an hundred shekels 
of silver. — Deut. 22. 



* Johnson quotes this line. 



255 

Moustache. 
From the French. They took the word from 
the ancient Greek Muo-ra§, of the same meaning, 

to Kiss. 
In Greek Kuo-a*, ex. gr. 
Ktxrov ju,s xai rr\v x Si P a ^°$ T7 3 v 8e§iav. — Aristoph. 

Stitch. 

A Stitch, in needle-work, meant originally one 
puncture of the needle, from the Germ, stechen, 
to prick or puncture, which is the Greek ct^siv. 

A Stitch in the side (sharp, pricking pain) — 
from the same. 

Related to this is the German Sticken, to 
embroider, and Stachel, a thorn. 

Johnson adduces a very unusual sense of the 
word Stitches from Chapman's Iliad, viz. furrows 
or ridges turned up with the plough. Perhaps 
that author intended to express the Greek word 
a-Ti^og, a row, or straight line, which is used 
also as a term of agriculture. 

His lines run thus : 

Many men at plow he made, and drave earth here and there, 
And turn'd up stitches orderly * * * 

Where " orderly " expresses the true meaning 
of <rTi%og, viz. ordo. 



256 

Although this sense of the word stitch is very 
uncommon, the composite terms distich, hemi- 
stich, acrostic, are familiar to our language. 

to Sting. 

This word also is related to the Greek Xri^siv, 
to pierce or puncture : whence the Latins also 
took their verb Stingo, or Stinguo, meaning pungo. 
For distinctio and punctum are the same. 

Grist. 

I have already remarked (p. 86) that this 
appears to be an ancient word for barley. It 
may be added that the Greeks have the word 
KpiQr}, barley, which is probably the same. 

Aye. 
Always : ex. gr. " for ever, and for Aye." 
Very like the Greek Ast or Aisi. 

Far. 

Far; Anglo-Sax. Farre. 

According to Rask this word is derived from 
the Greek Hoppca, which has the same meaning. 

to Box. 
Called by the same name in Greek, viz. Ilu£. 



257 

Door. 

Door; Germ. Thur, or Tlior ; Greek 0t>pa. 

Closely related to this word is the German 
preposition durch, Engl, through, thord (as tho- 
roughfare, from durch-fahren.) 

Goblin. 

Germ. Kobold ; Gr. Ko0aAo£, mischievous, as 
(pita-si xofiofaog. — Aristoph. It also means a mis- 
chievous spirit. 

Artery. 

From the Greek Aprypiou, a vein. 

But no satisfactory origin for this term has 
been found in the Greek language. I therefore 
think it was very anciently borrowed by the 
Greeks from the Teutonic Ader, a vein, in 
Icelandic jEdur. 

Daughter. 

Daughter, Germ. Tochter, is a very remarkable 
instance of agreement between our northern lan- 
guages and the Greek, viz. SvyoLTrjp. 

The Greek language combines either KT or 
TA (as oTCTco, oy^oog) ; but not TT. The Teu- 
tonic Tochter might have become in Greek either 
SoxTYjp or 0uy^p, but not Siryrrjp. To avoid 
the cacophony of this sound the Greeks inserted 
a short vowel, and said Suyarrjp. 

2 L 



258 

Meed. 

Meed, i. e. guerdon, reward, recompense ; ex. 
gr. " Meed of service." 

From the German Miethen, to hire; which is 
closely related to the Greek Mia-Qog, hire, reward. 

Borough. 

Borough, also written Burgh, is the German 
Burg, a fortified town, which is no doubt related 
to the Greek Hupyog, a fortified place or tower. 
So Castrmn, Castellum, and modern Greek Kot<r- 
rpo, originally meant a place of strength, well 
fortified ; but afterwards any City. So also, a 
Town (in Gaelic Dun) was originally a fortified 
hill, or an Acropolis. 

Beck. 

Beck meant a rivulet in old English, and is 
still found in many names of places, as Troutbeck, 
and also in Normandy, as Bolbec, Caudebec (i. e. 
Cold-beck, or Kalt-bach). 

It is the Germ. Bach, a little stream, whence 
the names of places, Schwarzbach, Dornbach, 
Laybach, Eberbach (from Eber, aper, a boar), 
&c. &c. 

The word Beck may not improbably be derived 
from the Greek Tirj-ytj, a rivulet or fountain, 



259 

which comes, I think, from the verb wrfiav, to 
spring up, for so we call a fountain " a spring :" 
and so the Latin poet : 

Dulcis aquae saliente sitim restinguere rivo. 

Well. 
A Well is the German Quelle, a fountain, or 

source of water. 

Netlier. 

Nether, Germ. Nieder, is related to the Greek 
Ns*aTO£, the lowest ; ex. gr. 

V7T0LI 7T0Sa VEIOLTOV 1^7]^. HoiJl. 

Grotto. 

From the Italian Grotta, which is itself derived 
from the Greek Kpwn-rr}, a Crypt : a cave in the 
earth, a hiding-place : which is the German GrufL 

The Italians change PT into TT ; ex. gr. 
aptus, atto : thus xpu7rrrj became grotta. 

to Engrave. 

To Grave, or Engrave, Germ. Graben, is the 
Greek ypaQsw in its primitive sense of inscribing 
lines with a sharp point upon stone or metal. 
And as the verb is not found in Latin, the re- 
semblance is interesting. 



260 

Terse. 
Johnson quotes the following passage con- 
cerning Amber from Brown's Vulgar Errors : 
" Many stones, although terse and smooth, have 
not this power attractive " — and explains it to 
mean "smooth" adding that such meaning is 
" not in use." But surely it means " wiped very 
dry," or "rubbed briskly," for it is well known 
that it is under such circumstances that amber 
manifests its . " power attractive." 

to Rattle. 

To Rattle, Germ, rasseln. Connected with 
the Greek Apao-asiv. 

rig, s(prj, Supag apaa-asi ; — Anacr. 

Hence, also, to Rustle. The Germans say : 
" The wind rustles (rasselt) among the leaves." 

to Yawn. 

To Yawn, Germ. Gahnen ; derived from the 
Greek Xai^/v. 

to Seethe. 

To Seethe, or boil, Germ. Sieden; Icelandic, 
Seyda. Related to the Greek Zsw, to boil. 

'£1$ 8s Xs0>]£ £s* svftov. — Horn. 



$ 



261 

Full. 

Full, in German Voll, is closely related to the 
Greek UoXug or HouKvg. 

Ful, at the end of a word in composition, 
sometimes answers to the Italian vole ; as, grade- 
vole, grateful, pleasant, agreeable. 

Ace. 

The single point on cards or dice. 

A circumstance connected with the history of 
this word is most singular, if it be not the mere 
effect of chance, which, however, I think it can 
hardly be. It appears to have hitherto escaped 
notice. 

In the first place, then, the Ace is obviously 
derived from the French As, and German Ass, 
Italian Asso, Spanish As. 

But in what sense was it originally called the 
Ass? In reference to the quadruped of that 
name ? No one would suppose so. Yet, never- 
theless, such appears to be the fact. For the 
ancient Greeks themselves called it Ouog, that is 
to say, the Ass. 

Surely there are few things in Etymology more 
extraordinary than this. How is it to be ex- 
plained ? is it a capricious play of chance ? 



262 

The Greek name Ovog is easily accounted for: 
it is a corruption of the Latin Units. 

They had another very similar name for the 
Ace, namely Oivr), and in another work,* when 
treating of the curious Homeric phrase Owo7ra 
7rovTov, I have gone at some length into the 
examination of that little known word (but which 
certainly existed in ancient Greek), the adjective 
Oiuog, One. 

From the above remarks I think the following 
consequences follow. The ancient Latins must 
have invented the game of dice, or at least this 
particular term which expressed the single point. 
They called it Units (the most natural name it 
could have). The Greeks corrupted this into 
Ovog. Lastly the Teutons learned the game from 
the Greeks, but translated the term Ovog into 
their own language, Ass. 

I will add another curious instance of the 
occurrence of this word — producing a similar, and 
even greater confusion of meanings. 

The Greeks had a nursery tale of a goblin 
named Empusa, who had only one leg, and that 
a brazen one. 

* Hermes, p. 115. 



263 

An ancient commentator* says that Empusa 
in fact signifies One-foot (I suppose from Uoug, 
a foot, and an old word Ev, one, like the Anglo- 
Saxon An). But, whether he is right or not in 
this etymology, there is no doubt that the Sprite 
was also called Ouoa-xs'kig, and OuoxcoXtj, literally, 
" having the leg of an ass," or " Ass-leg." But 
why so called ? Through an error apparently. 
For the story was, that she had only one foot,-)* 
consequently it is plain that Ovoa-xskig originally 
meant One-foot, from Ovog, One, and not Ass-foot. 

But by another singular confusion, after the 
name Ass-foot had been adopted by some people 
(suppose, some who spoke the old Teutonic, or 
both that tongue and Greek also, for many of the 
ancients were compelled to know two languages) f 
its first syllable Ass was misunderstood and 
mistaken for the Latin As or JEs, which sig- 
nifies brass, and thence the story of the Phan- 
tom received this remarkable addition — that her 
single foot was a brazen one. 

Such mistakes and qui pro qiws have nothing 



* The Scholiast on Aristophanes (the Frogs, v. 293). 
"f* ol juev (jxuTiv avrr]v fiiovoTroda uvai. — Scholiast. 
X Canusini more bilinguis. — Hor. 



264 

surprising when we consider how often persons 
belonging to different nations were jumbled to^ 
gether both by war and commerce. 

Fetlock, 

Johnson derives this word from the lock (of 
hair) on the horse's foot. 

But perhaps the fetlock originally meant the^- 
lock-joint, from an old English word Lock, signify- 
ing a joint, whence Anglo-Sax. ban-loc, or bone-joint, 
which occurs in a line of Beowulf: — "burston 
ban-locan " — the juncture of the bones burst.* 

And, moreover, we say that one thing locks 
into another when it acts like a joint. 

Fetlock may therefore be derived from fet (foot) 

and lock (joint). 

to Lodge. 

To Lodge; in French, loger ; from the Latin 
locare. 

Hence to dislodge, de loger, might be rendered 
in Latin dislocare (but see the next article). 

to Dislocate. 
Johnson derives the verb to dislocate from the 



Wright's Literature of the Anglo-Saxons, p. 10. 



265 

Latin dis, and locus, a place. But dislocare is 
not a Latin word, and even if we suppose the 
existence of such a verb, the English term cor- 
responding would be to dislodge (see the last 
article). Considering, then, the very peculiar 
sense of the term dislocation, viz. 'putting a bone 
out of joint, I suspect that it really comes from 
the Old English word Loc, a joint, concerning 
which I have made some remarks in p. 264. 
Compare however also the Latin verb luxare, 

to dislocate. 

Set. Suit. Suite. 

A set of tea-things, a set of chessmen, &c. &c. 
are familiar phrases. 

Johnson defines a Set : — " a number of things 
suited to each other — one of which cannot be 
conveniently separated from the rest." 

And a Suit he explains to mean : " a Set : a 
number of things correspondent one to the other." 

Set is the same word as Suite ; ex. gr. " une 
belle suite de livres " — a handsome set of books. 

" To lose one volume spoils the set" 

Suite comes from suivre, to follow, as when 
we say " a suite * of servants in rich liveries." 

* They came " with fifty in their suite." — Sydney. It is re- 
markable that Johnson should mark this sense as " obsolete." 
It has revived, then, since his time ; for it is now very common. 

2m 



266 

But, a suit of clothes and a suit of armour 
come from the verb to suit : that is, to Jit. 

Although there may have been a real difference 
of origin, yet the three words, Set, Suit, and Suite 
have long been confused together, and used pro- 
miscuously. This will appear plainly from a few 
examples. 

" A set of verses " is often said for " a suite," 
or series. Drayton has, " suits of rhimes." 

" I shall here lay together a new set of re- 
marks." — A ddison. 

" Partial to some particular set of writers." 

Pope. 

" Corpuscles of the same set or kind." — Wood- 
ward. 

" Another set of comrades." — Swift. 

" He belongs to a bad set" 

Sect. Sectarian. 

From the Latin Secta, a following; derived 
from sequor or sector, I follow. 

Secta is Setta in Italian, the CT being always 
changed into TT in that language ; as pectus, 
petto ; pactum, patto ; octo, otto.* 

Again, Secta, a following, is Suite, in French. 

* And so in English, priichtig, pretty. 



267 

Now we have seen in the last article that long 
use has mingled together, and almost identified 
the three words, Set, Suit, and Suite, and I think 
from what has been shewn above, that we are 
entitled to add to these the Italian Setta. For 
is it not the equivalent and the translation of 
the French Suite f 

This argument leads us then to the conclusion, 
that Secta and Set are words of related origin. 
" Belonging to the same Sect " is a classical 
phrase : — " belonging to the same Set," an English 
one : but their essential meaning is not very 
different, as may be seen by the following lines 
which Johnson has quoted from Watts : 

" Perhaps there is no man, nor Set of men, 
upon earth, whose sentiments I entirely follow." 

The meaning of this passage remains the same 
if we change the word Set into Sect : 

" There is no man, nor Sect of men, upon 
earth, whose sentiments I entirely follow." 

Again, Pope complains of " critics, who are 
partial to some particular Set of writers, to the 
prejudice of others." 

So one might say of a prejudiced person, 
" religious writers of one particular Sect he reads, 
the rest he neglects." 



268 

Sept. 

Clan, race, or family. — Johnson. 

" Many warlike nations or Septs of the Irish." 

Dames. 

" The head of that Sept. — Spenser on Ireland. 

Johnson observes " it is a word used only with 
regard or allusion to Ireland :" but this is contra- 
dicted by a passage which he himself quotes from 
Boyle : — " The true and ancient Russians — a Sept 
whom he had met with," &c. 

Johnson gives no derivation for the word 
Sept ; but I think it comes undoubtedly from the 
French Cep, the stock of a tree or plant (some- 
times anciently written Sep) : for this metaphor 
is well known, and generally employed : ex. gr. 
" nations of a kindred stock." 

" Say what stock he springs of — 
The noble house of Marcius." 

Shaksp. Coriolan. 

" Of the royal stock 
Of David." 

Milton. 

" A genealogical tree " is a similar metaphor. 

So also Propago, a race, as " clarorum virorum 

propagines :" — meant originally a stock or root, or 

according to Ainsworth: "an old vinestock cut 

down, so that many imps may spring from it." 



269 

And Soboles, a descendant ; ex. gr. " Cara 
Deum soboles" — meant originally a young shoot.* 

Hence it is not improbable that Seps, originally 
stocks of vines and other trees, came to mean 
races of men, families, or tribes. 

But I also think that Sep, a stock, or root, 
is the origin of the Latin word Pro-sapia, of 
which I believe the etymology has not yet been 
determined. 

Prosapia is a race or stock ; ex. gr. " Homo 
veteris prosapice." — Sallust. 

Galba nobilissimus, magnaque et vetere pro- 
sapid. — Sueton . 

to Champ, to Chafe. 
A horse is said to Champ the bit, and to Chafe 
the bit. This verb is nearly the same as to 
Chaw or Chew. 

" The fiend replied not, overcome with rage, 
But, like a proud steed rein'd, went haughty on, 
Champing his iron curb." 

Milton. 

To Chafe (warm by rubbing) is the French 

Chauffer : but it very frequently means to rub 

or fret against something, without any notion of 

warmth ensuing, as, 

* Soboles is literally " undergrowth," from sub, and oleo or 
olesco, to grow. 



270 

" The murmuring surge, 
That on th' unnumbered idle pebbles chafes, 
Cannot be heard so high," 

Shaksp. 

Chops. 

Chop, the Jaw ; related to the verb to Chaw. 
(Thomson.) 

Hence chop-fallen, and chap-fallen. 

I know not why Johnson omits these words. 

Supercilious. 

From the Latin Supercilium, pride, haughtiness, 

ex. gr. 

Sed forma, sed setas 
Digna supercilio. 

Juv. 

Si cum magnis virtutibus adfers 
Grande supercilium. 

Id. 

The word properly means the Eyebrow, in 
Greek Ofypug, which is used in the same sense; 
for instance, in an epigram of Lucian : 

— shall humble thy pride. 

to Browbeat. 
To depress with severe brows, and stern or 
lofty looks. — Johnson. 



271 

" I will not be browbeaten by the supercilious 
looks of my adversaries." — Arbuthnot and Pope. 

Saucy. 

This is a word of very difficult etymology. 

Johnson would derive it from the Latin salsus, 

salted, that is to say, witty. But in the older 

writers it often means contemptuous, insolent, 

scornful, or arrogant; for example, 

" Turn thou the mouth of thy artillery, 
As we will ours, against these saucy walls." 

Shaksp. 

I have a notion that Saucy may be a corrup- 
tion of the French Sourcil, in Latin Supercilium, 
an eyebrow, which has exactly this sense. 

(See p. 270.) In the line there quoted from 
Juvenal, the saucy domestic, who barely conde- 
scends to wait on his master's poor guest, is 
excused by the Satirist because of his youth and 

good looks. 

" Sed forma, sed aetas 
Digna supercilio ." 

— i. e. excuse his sauciness. 

Now let us revert once more to the lines of 

Shakspeare : 

" Turn thou the mouth of thy artillery, 
As we will ours, against these saucy walls." 

— i. e. supercilious walls — frowning defiance. 



272 

The French use exactly the same expression 
in speaking of a lofty object; as for instance, 
" montagnes sourcitteuses" 

So we say also "a proud fortress," "a haughty 
tower," &c. &c. No metaphor is more com- 
mon. 

I have shewn in another article that the 
French have shortened solsequium into souci. 
Upon the same principle of permutation of letters 
we may easily derive saucy from sourcil. 

Maxim. Axiom. Principle. 

"To instil good principles into the mind, or 
good maxims" — so called because they are the 
principal or greatest points (maxima) which ought 
to be attended to. 

" The principles of a science " are its first 
points : viz. either first in order (principia), or 
first in importance (principalia). 

Johnson defines a Maxim to mean " an Axiom : 
a general principle, a leading truth :" and (al- 
though it may appear a bold conjecture) I should 
not be surprised if the word Axiom or Axioma 
were originally a corruption of Maxim or Max- 
imum, pronounced Aximum. For the ancients 
sometimes added or omitted the letter M at the 



273 

commencement of a word,* as, for instance, 
[jlolg-^olXy}, axilla ; fj.ouvo£, unus ; ju,*a, ia. Or 
perhaps ^ol^i^ov was first adopted as a foreign 
word, and then was purposely altered into a 
Hellenic form. Such changes f have always been 
very common in most languages. 

(The meaning of A^co^a, supposing it to be a 
purely Greek word, has been considered pre- 
viously. 

Pert.\ 

Abbreviated from the old word Malapert, the 
same as Mai appris in old French, viz. Ill-taught, 
ill-bred, mal eleve. 

So, Rude is the Latin Rudis, viz. untaught, 
uneducated. 

Envy. 

This word is closely related to the old French 



* M being cognate to V (especially in all the Celtic dialects), 
and the V being often omitted (in Greek always so) caused 
perhaps a similar omission of the M. 

f For instance, Girasole (a species of sun-flower, or Heli- 
anthus) was first adopted into English as a foreign name, and 
then changed into Jerusalem. Giroflee became Gilliflower, and 
then July flower, in order to make an apparent sense in English. 

% Thomson is far from the truth in this word in supposing it to 
be the French pr4t, ready : and Johnson is not much more satis- 
factory. 

2 N 



274 

adverb Envis,* repiningly, grudgingly, unwillingly; 

ex. gr. the old proverb : 

" Toutes fois est faict ce qu? envis ont fait." — i.e. 

" Though 'gainst their wills they did it, yet 'tis 

done." 

And this other : 

" Envis meurt qui appris ne Pa:" 
" Unwillingly he dies, who has not learnt to die." 

This old word Envis f is related to the Latin 
Invitus, unwilling, and it enables us to guess at 
the etymology of that word, viz. that it comes 
from velle, and the Teutonic to ivill. To make 
this a little plainer : — in the phrase " Quid vis f " 
the whole notion of the ivill, wish, or desire is 
contained in the syllable Vi ; the final S being 
only the mark of the second person singular. 

In the same manner, then, the word En-vi, or 
In-vi expresses the notion of Un-willingness or 
Ill-will. And from Invi we have the adjective 
form Invitus, as from Astu, Astutus. 

There can be little doubt, then, that Envy, 
meaning ill-will, or malevolence (Fr. malveil- 



* See the word in Cotgrave's Dictionary. 

t A Wish would be in old Gallic spelling Vis. The contrary 
of this would be En-vis, or an ill-wish, unwill, unwillingness, 
mauvaise volonte. 



275 

lance), answers to the ancient Latin form Invitia, 
from Invitus. But this term long ago, even in 
the most ancient times, must have coalesced 
with the similar-sounding word Invidia, by which 
it has been completely supplanted. And this is 
owing to the superstition of the evil eye,- which is 
alluded to in the term Invidia. 

Johnson's definition of Envy is a long one : 
"Pain felt and malignity conceived at the sight 
of excellence or happiness." 

On the other hand, some writers have gone so 
far as to deny the existence of such a passion as 
Envy. But there is certainly such a thing as Ill- 
will ivithout reasonable cause, or, as it is expressed, 
pure ill-will,* and that seems to be nearly the 
primitive meaning of the word Envy. 

Wistful. 

Nearly the same as Wishful. 

" Lifting up one of the sashes, I cast many a 
wistful, melancholy glance towards the sea." 

Swift. 

Wistfully was sometimes written Wistly in 
old English : 



* Ex. gr. " He did it out of pure ill-will," — without any cause 
or provocation whatever. 



276 



Speaking it, he wistly look'd on me, 
As who shall say, I would thou wert the man. 

Shaksp. 

Wish, wist, and a third form wisk* are related 
to the old French vis, in the adverb en-vis, 
unwillingly (see the preceding article). 

to Wish. 

Anglo-Sax. Wiscan. The other northern lan- 
guages have wunschen, wunscan, wenschen, wenssen, 
&c. 

As to the ultimate origin of these verbs, I 
think they may possibly come from the Teutonic 
particle wenn's,^ the first syllable by which a wish 
is usually commenced, or which leads the hearer 
to expect the utterance of a wish; as, " Wemis 
nur moglich ware," &c. " Oh ! that it were pos- 
sible !" (literally, " If it were possible !") 

It is curious that the verb to Hope, Germ. 
hoffen, Lat. optare, is related in the same way 
to the old Teutonic particle Ob or Op, meaning 
If. Should a doubt be felt whether such small 
particles could become the basis of important 
words, I would remark that in an old Germanic 



* The root of the Anglo- Sax. wiscan, to wish, 
f i. e. if it. 



277 

idiom we find "without a doubt" expressed by 
the phrase "without If." 

Grog. 

A word omitted by Johnson. Perhaps from 
the old French gogues, jollity ; whence " estre en 
ses gogues" to be frolicksome, lively, in a vein of 
mirth, or in a merry mood. Se goguer, to be 
right merry, or make good cheer, "to set cocke- 
a-hoope." — Cotgrave's Dictionary. 

Agog. 
In a state of excitement. 

" Only let it chime right to the humour which 
is at present agog." — South's Sermons. 

i. e. the present excited temper of the populace. 

" On which the saints are all agog." — Hudibras. 

From the same root as the preceding. 

Jolly. 
The French formerly used joli in this sense, 
and also joliete for jollity. To jollify answers to 
the old French joliver, and ajoliver ; which Cot- 
grave explains " to be merrie, jolly, jocond" 



278 

Henbane.* 

I learn from Tragus (p. 132) that this plant 
was called Aiog Kua/*,o£ as well as uog TcuoL^og. 
It is probable that the French term jusquiame 
has been corrupted from the former word, and 
not the latter. For so the Spanish word Dios, 
an idol, has become Jos. 

This plant is a narcotic and deadly poison. 
The Latins called it Apottinaris, evidently from 
a7roAXuva*, to kill, destroy. This play of words 
must have amused them, for even Euripides 
condescended to pun upon the name of Apollo 
in the same way. Others named it Insana or 
EjU,jU.av££ (producing madness), answering to toll- 
kraut in German. 

Also in old German it was called Ross-zan 
(horse's tooth). 

Pliny says that the Arabians called it Alter- 
cangenon, a name which is surely corrupted from 
Alkekenc/i, a well-known plant of the same nar- 
cotic family, f 



* Vide p. 14. 

t Physalis somnifera, and Ph. Alkekengi. 



279 

Hen-bit 

The name of a plant : called in old French 
Morgeline, i. e. morsus gallince, from geline, gal- 
lina. 

It had another name in old French, which is 
so strange an instance of corruption of lan- 
guage, that it is worth while to take notice of 
it. 

This name was Mauvais ceil. It is probable 
that it arose in the following manner. Some 
person, ignorant of Saxon or German, hearing 
the plant called Henbit or Henvit, supposed that 
it meant Envid or Invid, that is to say, Envy, 
Invidia, the Evil Eye, Mauvais ceil. 

Petunia. 
An ornamental kind of tobacco much cultivated 
in gardens. A modern name, but derived from 
Petum, or Petun, tobacco. This term is already 
found in Cotgrave's Dictionary (A.D. 1611). 
Tobacco seems to have been then well known. 

Noisome. 

Formerly written noysome. From the old 
verb to noy, Fr. nuire, to hurt or harm: — related 
also to the Ital. noia, and to the Lat. noceo, nowa. 

To annoy is Ital. annoiare. 



280 

No<ro£, Not>o-o£, morbus, is accounted a word of 
uncertain etymology — I think, however, that it 
is only the Latin Noxa, pronounced Nossa.* 
For Noxa signifies a plague of any kind.f 

Prim, 

Precise. Johnson says that it is a contraction 
of Primitive. 

But I think it comes from the old French 
Prim, which, according to Cotgrave, meant fine, 
delicate, or accurate : as, 

Marjolaine prime, fine, or gentle Marjoram. 

Filer prim, to run thin, or by little and 
little. 

" Je veux tailler ma plume plus prime" lite- 
rally, " I will cut my pen to a finer point," i. e. 
" I will write with more care, or more precision." 



A word or two concerning some other words 
of similar meaning. 

The adjective Fine means thin and delicate, 
it also means graceful or elegant. 



* As Ulyxes Ulysses : a tax, Ital. tassa ; buxus, busso, &c. 
&c. 

f Thus, for instance, Colum. uses it for disease consequent 
upon a wound. 



281 

So Gracilis is related to graceful* and the 
Graces : and even Exiguus (slender or small) 
seems related to exactness and 'perfection. 

Cake. 

From the verb to Cook ; as appears from the 
German name for a cake (Kuchen) and for ome- 
lettes or pancakes (pfann-kuchen) which I find 
to be a very old name. 

Caterpillar. 

The etymologists are terribly at a loss about 
this word. They are reduced to such straits as 
to derive it from a Cat, together with other 
guesses not a whit more probable. 

The Greek name for a Caterpillar is Ka[x7ry), 
so named from Ka[A7rla), flecto, because when it is 
touched it curls itself up. 

I think, then, it is very likely that Caterpillar 
is a corruption of Ka/AX7]Xa, or little Kapr7j. 

Wolfsbane. 
Aconitum Lycoctonum. A large plant, with 



* This appears so evident, that I wonder that Valpy in his 
Dictionarj' should be at a loss for the etym. of Gracilis. 

2 o 



282 

pale yellow flowers, common in the mountains 
of Switzerland. The genus Aconitum is one of 
the most virulent of poisons. The ancients were 
almost afraid to touch it. Even the effluvia of 
the plant in full flower have been known to 
produce swooning fits and temporary loss of 
sight.* 

Lycoctonum or Avxoxtovov signifies Wolf's- 
bane, or the destroyer of wolves. But why was 
it so named ? It wo aid destroy wolves, most 
likely, if they ate it, but so it would any thing 
else : and I apprehend the wolves are wise 
enough to abstain from it. 

I think I can point out from whence the name 
arose, and it affords a curious chapter in the 
history of the mutations of language. 

All poisonous herbs were called Banes f in 
the ancient language of Germany. 

Some Greeks, who understood a little German, 
but that little very imperfectly, mistook this word 
for Beans 9 \ and accordingly translated it Kvoluloi. 



* Rees's Cyclopaedia. 

f The Latin Venerium appears to be etymologically connected 
with Bane. 

% Beans have nearly the same name in German (Bohnen), and 
even in a dialect of Greek (Iluavot). 



283 

Of this we see a very clear and remarkable instance 
in the poisonous plant called Henbane, which the 
Greeks translated uog xvapog and Aiog xvapos* 
And a similar mistake occurred with regard to 
the plant which is the subject of the present 
article, the pale-yellow-flowered Aconite.. It was 
called in its native country the White Bane, to 
distinguish it from another and commoner Bane, 
the Aconite with a deep blue flower, f But this 
name White Bane being mistaken for White 
Bean, was translated KuoLpog Xswxo$4 Others 
perceiving the absurdity of this appellation, re- 
stored the true sense of Bane, viz. poison, or 
destruction, but fell into another error, by taking 
Ksuxog^ to mean Xuxog, a wolf. Thus, instead 
of White Bane they rendered it Wolf's Bane, 
or Lycoctonum, which name it has retained to 
the present day. 

The same confusion between "ksuxog and "huxog 
has occurred in other instances. Thus there is 



* The true meaning of the first part of the name appears to 
be lost or doubtful. 

t A. Napellus of modern Botanists. 

X See the work of Tragus, p. 248, who cites that name. 

§ Foreigners, ignorant of the plant, except from hearsay, 
might not be aware of the paleness of the flowers, and might 
easily misunderstand the epithet \zvkoc. 



284 

a river Lycus in Asia Minor, which Mr. Fellowes, 
who visited it, describes as remarkable for the 
whiteness of its waters, shewing pretty plainly 
that its original name was the White River 
(Keuxog), and not Wolf river (Kuxog). — And such 
I dare say was the case with many other rivers, 
which occur on our maps with the designation 
of Lycus fiuv. Especially, as the Black river 
(Melas) and the Yellow river (Xanthus) are also 
not unfrequently found. 



I will add another confirmation, although per- 
haps needless, to the above remarks. 

The two sorts of Aconite were naturally called, 
from the colour of their flowers, the White and 
the Blue ; in Greek Ksuxog and xuavog. And as 
Tieuxog was mistaken for "Kuxog, a wolf, we might 
expect that xvavog would be mistaken for xwog, a 
dog. This has really happened ; for we find that 
one of the names of the blue Aconite was xuvo- 
xtovov, or the destroyer of dogs.* 

Emulsion. Electuary. 
An Emulsion is by some derived from mulgeo, 



* Vide Tragus, p. 248. Steph. Thes. 5487, B. 



285 

to milk, though perhaps it may come from the 
adjective mulseus. 

Electuary seems to come from Lac, lactis, for 
Menage says it is called at Metz, in France, 
Latuaire, and in modern Greek "Xocrovapiov. 

The Spurge, a plant which abounds with a 
milky juice, was formerly called Lactaria.* This 
name has been corrupted into Lathyris.^ 

Flageolet. 

A French word. Diminutive of Flageol. I 
wonder that Menage, who treats of this word, 
should not have perceived that it was the Greek 

w'kayim)'kog.\ 

Cowslip. 

The old writers call this plant herba paralysis^ 
but it would be rash to conclude that it is there- 
fore a good remedy for the palsy ; for they were 
not particularly cautious in their application of 
names, as we shall see in the present instance. 



* See Tragus, p. 292. 

+ Euph. Lathyris, Linn. 

X Since writing the above I find I have been anticipated in 
this etymology (which I consider indubitable) by iEmilius 
Portus in his Lex. Dor. 

§ See Tragus, p. 201. 



286 

The old German name for it signified " the 
keys" because the flowers hang in a cluster, 
something like a bunch of keys. And being also 
very beautiful and fragrant, it received the more 
noble appellation of St. Peters Kegs, and the keys 
of Heaven. 

This being the case, I think there can be no 
doubt that the name of herba paralysis is nothing 
else than a corruption of herba paradisi. 

Steivard. 

A Steward is the Anglo-Sax. Stiward, from 
Sti, a house, or dwelling (in Welsh Ti) 9 * and 
Ward, a guardian, warden, ruler, or regulator. 

It answers, therefore, to the Greek ceconomus, 
a steward,! from cecos, a house ; nomos, a regu- 
lation or law : whence the term Economy, mean- 
ing literally " the regulation of a household." 

Butler. 

A Butler appears to be the Anglo-Sax. Botl- 
werd (pronounced more shortly Botlerd), " one 



* Gr. (TTsyoQ and rsyog. Lat. tectum. 

f For instance, in the parable of the Unjust Steward, he is 
called in Greek the CEconomus. 



287 

who hath the care of a house : a house-stew- 
ard."* 

Botl signifies an abode or mansion; ex. gr. 
Cyninges botl, the King's dwelling. Pharao eode 
into his both — Pharaoh went into his house. 



An inferior servant, who had charge of the 
bottles, was also called the butler, from the French 
bouteillier. These two terms have long ago coa- 
lesced into one ; with a mixed signification of 
having the "charge of the household," and the 
"charge of the cellar." 

Merry as a grig. 

This proverb has been variously explained. 

1. Johnson thinks it means "as merry as a 
Greek ;" but this is unsatisfactory. Our ances- 
tors had no intercourse with the Greeks, and 
the Classic Authors have no such proverb. 

2. Others say a grig is a small eel of great 
vivacity. 

3. Or, that the comparison is to the cricket, 
in French cri-cri, Belg. kriekie. This etym. is 
plausible. 



Elf. gr. 9, 28, quoted by Bosw. 



288 

Perhaps the original proverb was "as merry 
as a glig" For in Anglo-Sax. a Glig-man was a 
musician, minstrel, gleeman, player, buffoon. 

Glig-beam was a timbrel. 

Glig was music, joke, sport. 

Hence comes our word Glee. " Full of glee " 
is full of mirth or fun. 

Spinach. 

Generally derived from Spince, prickles ; which 
seems absurd, the plant not being a prickly one. 

I have little doubt it is a corruption of 
" Spanish :" for it is named in old authors Olus 
Hispanicum. — See Tragus, p. 325. 

Pedlar. 

I. Contracted from "petty dealer." — {Johnson.) 

II. From the French "pied oiler" to go on 
foot (Thomson): — (but the French do not say, 
pied oiler, but " oiler a pied") 



With neither of these two etymologies can I 
agree : and my opinion is, that the word Pedlar 
is related to the German Pettier* a stroller or 
beggar. 

* Which is from beten, to beg or pray ; the Latin petere. 



289 

Stirrup. 

I have already considered this word at page 47. 
But perhaps the simplest etymology is from 
strap or strop (in Greek <rrpo<po£, Lat. strupus, 
see p. 158). The first and simplest contrivance 
seems to have been merely a strap of leather, 
with a loop to put the foot in. 

This then will be the origin of strepa and 
estribo. But stapia and estaphe will belong to 
another root, that of staffa, a step. 

Standard. 

I propose to examine this word a little farther 
than was done at p. 153. 

In the first place it means a Flag, a Banner; 
being the French etendard, from etendre, to extend 
or display. And since the verb " to stand " is 
quite wanting in the French language, it is plain 
that etendard cannot be derived from any notion 
of "standing." 

Yet, nevertheless, in English, one sense of the 
adjective standard is certainly derived from the 
verb to stand: as when we say, "this fruit-tree 
is a standard." 

A Standard is that which is firmly established, 
and stands fast. It is something unchangeable, 
and which cannot be removed. 

2 p 



290 

" The works of a standard author." " Standard 
measures." 

" The Court used to be the standard of pro- 
priety, and correctness of speech." — (Siuift.) 

" First follow Nature, and your judgment frame 
By her just standard, which is still the same." 

Pope. 

Now let us observe that the two senses of the 
word standard have melted together and united 
into one. 

" The Royal Standard was 'planted in the midst 
of the army." 

" Erect the standard there !" — (Milton.) 

" A thousand brave soldiers folloived Ids stan- 
dard:' 

" You must either take Christianity as your 
standard of moral judgment — or you must renounce 
it, and either follow another standard, or have no 
standard at all." — (Arnold's Life, II, p. 96.) 

It is the custom, even now, to mark out and 
define the limits of a territory by planting flags. 
These flags are therefore standards in a double 
sense, or in an united sense, since they are esta- 
blished, fixed, standing marks, erected by authority. 

The Royal Standard is what all must follow 
and obey : the standard measure is what all must 
conform to. The two ideas flow into one. 



291 

Dower. Dowry. To Endow. 

Latin Dos, dotis : dotare. 

Dower seems related to the Greek Sa>poj/, a 
gift, from the verb Do (I give) both in Greek 
and Latin. 

From 8a)Tft>p, a giver, the verb dotam is easily 
formed. 

The Italian adjective dovizioso (rich) sufficiently 
proves that the form doves, dovitis, was current 
in Italy formerly, as well as the classic form 
dives, divitis. 

Another argument is this, that you can equally 
say in Latin, " me hde re dotavit," and " me hdc 
re ditavit" 

The first we should translate " he endowed me" 
the second, " he enriched me" 

The above shews plainly that " to endow " 
conveys the notion of " gifts " and of " wealth" 

But then comes the etymological puzzle, that 
the verb " to endow " is unquestionably the same 
with to endue or indue, which means to clothe 
or invest (the Latin induere), see page 201. The 
great importance of the subject to philology induces 
me to go over part of the same ground again. 

To don and to doff a garment are (as every 
one admits) to do on and to do off, and so like- 
wise the Germans say an-thun (to put on a gar- 



292 

ment). So that in different dialects, either now 
or formerly, people said — 

Ich thu'an : I do on ; I don. 

I Do having thus acquired a meaning appro- 
priated to dressing oneself, it is not at all sur- 
prising that it should have got confused with 
the Latin verb duo (the root of induere, to put 
on a dress), and also with the Greek and Latin 
Do, I give. The latter confusion (between 
do and duo) could hardly be avoided : since a 
gift of lands and an investiture thereof were so 
closely connected by custom. 

to Indue. 
[Addition to the article p. 201.] 

Indued is evidently the Latin indutus (clothed 
or covered), Greek suburog, French enduit. But 
besides this, it is the Persian andud (covered) ; 
ex. gr. sim-andud, covered with silver, or sil- 
vered. 



The Greek word svuuto, he put on (some article 
of dress), may anciently have been written svSuto 
(from the same root as su^oco). For Homer says 
evvuro %iTO)m, and also, evftuve %iTwva. 

TLvvurrQai, to put on a dress, may have been 



293 

originally written sv^va-Qai. Compare the Latin 
indusium* a garment. 

For we find N changed into ND in an infinity 
of other words, as for instance, tsiveiv, tenderer 
poenas pendere : yeuw, ysvog, gender. This view 
of the relations of the verb smug-Sou is very simple. 
Now, if we turn to Hederic's Lexicon, we find 
his conjecture to be, that it comes from the 
primitive ew — which is mere moonshine. 

Besides the verbs svtiusiv and svftwsiv, the 
Greeks use svrvew and evtuvsw, and the sub- 
stantive evrea, all which Buttmann refers to the 
root swopi, as I have done. 

As we say in English "to di^ess a dinner," 

meaning to prepare it or make it ready, so in 

Greek they said svtvvsgSoii fisnrvov, &c. And so 

for other things : and whatever articles were 

necessary for dressing any thing were called sursa, 

as, for instance, zvtsol Sourog, sutsol vyog, and 

sursa $i(ppou. 

to Induct 

I shall add to the article, p. 206, respecting 



* Varro seems no great authority in etymology : here, for 
instance, he derives indusium from intus, though it clearly comes 
from induere. 



294 

the induction of a priest into a living, that the 
word may perhaps in itself have meant investiture, 
and not have been so used by mistake, as I sup- 
posed. 

Because, in German, to put on a dress is 
anziehn, which is exactly the Latin inducere, 
from zielm (ducere). Hence, no doubt, inducere 
was used as synonymous with induere in the 
Latin of the middle ages. 

Bloom. 

Germ. Blume. From Blossom : S being often 
omitted before M, as balm from balsam : car erne 
from quaresima : to blame, from old French 
blasmer, &c, &c. 

Dimes for decimes (tithes) is nearly similar. 
Diwmes in old French. And a spasm in old 
French is pasme : whence pasmaison, a cramp 
(now pamoison and se f timer). 

to Strut. 
A good many of our verbs are metaphors 
taken from the habits of different animals, for 
instance, to quail, to havock, to caper (see these 
articles); and also to duck, to rat, to ferret a 
thing out, to dog a person's footsteps ("I have 
dogged him like his murtherer" — Shaksp.) One 



295 

of the most curious of these derivatives is the 
verb to sneak, from the habits of the snake, 
which insinuates itself, or sneaks in and out 
through the smallest crevice.* 

In a similar way I think we have taken the 
verb to Strut from the habits of the ostrich, 
called in Latin struthio, Greek struihus, Ital. 
struzzo, Dutch struts, Germ, strauss. 

It may be objected that the ostrich was a 
bird hardly known to our Saxon ancestors. But 
those ancestors came originally from the East, 
and had traditions and recollections of their 
earlier dwelling-place. Witness, for instance, 
their knowledge of the Camel, for which they 
had a very remarkable word in their own lan- 
guage, viz. Olband. 

That the Ostrich was well known four cen- 
turies ago, I need only quote the Paston Letters 
to shew, where a lover giving a description of 
his intended bride, says, " She hath ill teeth, 
and strides like an Estrichr 



* Another instance is the Greek j3oaw or j3ow, to bellow, 
from the root Bo (an Ox or Bull). The same verb is found in 
Latin boare. This simple etymology appears, nevertheless, 
to have escaped the grammarians altogether. 



296 

to Stride. 

Whether this verb was the same originally 
with the one discussed in the last article, is 
doubtful. At any rate its sound appears to have 
been somewhat influenced by the German 
schreiten, to walk. 

To straddle is a more forcible form of the verb 

to stride. 

Grasshopper. 

So in German Heu-schrecke, from Heu (hay).* 
The old French gresillon agrees in its first 
syllable with grasshopper. It seems an inter- 
mediate form: the more modern form is grillon, 
which is the Latin gryllus. 



* The meaning of the last part of the word heu-schrecke is 
doubtful. Schwenck thinks it means " to leap." But it is 
probably an old word for a cricket (Holl. kriek). In various 
dialects we might expect to find cricket, crecke, screcke, and the 
German schrecke. These names are connected with the verbs 
to creak, to screech, to shriek, the French crier, and an infinity 
of others which express ' a shrill cry.' The very shrill singing 
of the Cicada is well known. The word Cicada itself, or dead, 
appears to be nothing else than the Teutonic Cricad, or Cricket. 
This seems to be proved by what Hesychius has : KiKKog* 6 

veog TETTl£,. 



297 

Merry as a grig. 

On the whole, it seems best to derive this 

saying from the mirthful song of the cricket. 

The Dutch have a proverb ; " Zingen als eene 

kriek " — to sing as a cricket ; and in Italian 

they are called grigli. 

The Greeks delighted in the cricket's song: 

Tsmyog QspTspov a&sig. 

Theocritus. 
Crucible. 

Diminutive of Cruse, a pot, a vessel. Ital. 
crosolo, a cruse or melting-pot (Florio's Diction- 
ary). 

Middle Latin crucibulum : sl word formed like 
tlturibulum. Perhaps the alchemists imagined it 
to be derived from xpucrog, gold, and ftciKhsw, to 
project. Projection was a great term in Alchemy. 
Johnson says it was "the moment of transmu- 
tation." 

" A little quantity of the medicine in the 
'projection, will turn a sea of the baser metal into 
gold by multiplying." — {Bacon.) 

Almanack. 
Some think this to be an Arabic word ; but a 
Teutonic etymology may be suggested — from all- 
manath, meaning "all the months." This would 

2 Q 



298 

be an appellation similar to "Calendar" so 

named from Calendse, the first day of each month. 

The word for " month " in Swedish is manad : 

Goth, menath: Anglo-Sax. monath. Verstegan 

and others give a similar etymology of the word 

almanack. 

to Bear. 

To Bear is the Greek Qepsiv, Latin ferre. 

It is remarkable that the Macedonians said 

Bspsjv, as appears from the proper name Berenice,* 

meaning " bearing off the victory," or " carrying 

off the prize." A similar name is that of the 

very ancient author Pherecydes, viz., "bearing 

off the glory." 

Cock-a-hoop. 

To set cock-a-hoop (i. e. to be very much 
elated), and similar expressions, have somewhat 
puzzled etymologists to discover their origin. 
But this is not difficult to explain, when we 
know that Hupe in French means the crest of a 
cock, and Houpe a tuft of silk worn by noblemen 
in their bonnets, whence the proverb, " Ahattre 
Vorgueil des plus houpes" 



* Berenice has been corrupted into Veronica, whence the legend 
of St. Veronica and her pictured handkerchief (a tale suggested 
by a false etymology, from the Latin verus, and Greek tuctov). 



299 

Hoopoe. 

A bird remarkable for the elegance of its crest. 
Lat. Upupa, Greek E?ro\f/. 

There can be little doubt that the Latin and 
Greek names Upup, Epop, are derived from the 
old Northern word Hupe, a crest, or tuft of 
feathers. French Houppe, a tuft. 

Lock. 

Related to the Lat. Floccus. "Floe de soie" 

is a lock of silk. Floccus* seems connected with 

the Greek Uhoxog, a curl : ex. gr. rovft syco 

reluct) 7rXoxou (Soph.), " I cut off this curl," or 

"this lock" 

Margaret 

From Lat. Ma?*garita, a pearl, as is well known. 
A similar name (Johar, a pearl) is found among 
the modern Jews.f 

Peggy. Bob. Meggie. 
I do not think that Peggy has any claims to 



* This very simple derivation of Floccus has escaped the 
grammarians. Ainsworth says, " de etym. alii aliud, sed nihil 
comperti." 

f Vide Bible in Spain, vol. iii., p. 377. It ought rather tGLbe 
translated a jewel. 



{y 



300 

be considered as a diminutive of Margaret, It is 
merely the Danish word for "girl" viz. Pige. So 
also Madge, Maggie, Meggie, or Meg, is nothing 
else than the German magd, a maid, anciently 
written magad, magath, magete, magliet, &c, and 
therefore easily confused with Margaret 

Similarly, I believe that Bob was not originally 
the diminutive of Robert, but merely the Teu- 
tonic Bub or Bube, meaning " boy" I find that 
Thomson is of the same opinion. 

Ounce. 

A kind of panther or leopard. Spanish Onza; 
Italian Lonza. 

Whoever considers these two words will per- 
ceive that they only differ by the accidental 
prefixing of the article Le, which has become 
incorporated with the word. 

The same accident has occurred to many 
other words, as for instance, Lutra, an Otter ; 
Lingo t, from Ingot ; Lierre from Ierre (ivy), 
&c. &c. 

But since Lonza appears to be the Lynx (Auy§, 
Kuyxog) of the ancients, an important question 
arises, viz., whether the northern word TJnce, or 
Unx has been derived from the Greek Lima?, 
Lynx : or whether, on the other hand, that 



301 

classical term has been borrowed from the nor- 
thern idioms ? 

Unces grete and leopardes. — {King Alisaunder.) 

English Surnames. 

The explanation of a few of our English sur- 
names may find a place here. 



Poindexter. — This name does not signify " the 
right hand," as might easily be imagined, but is 
an old Norman name, signifying "Spur the steed" 
and analogous to Hotspur. It comes from two 
old words, which Wace often uses in the Roman 
de Rou ; the first meaning " to spur," from the 
Latin pungo ; the second, " a steed or courser," 
in French destrier, Ital. destriere. 



Clutterbuck. — This was probably the name of 
some village or hamlet situated on the banks of 
a clear and transparent rivulet. 

From the Saxon and German cluttr, hluttr, 
lutr, lauter, meaning clear, pure, bright, trans- 
parent ; and beck, bach, a little stream. 



Arroivsmith. — The name of a trade, which has 
been confused with another, viz. Ar smith, meaning 
a Brazier in Anglo-Saxon, from Ar (brass). 



302 

Griffinhoof. — One might suppose this to be 
from the German Grafen-hof implying some one 
attached to the court of a Count. But this 
conjecture does not appear to be well founded. 
Griffinhoof is a literal translation of the German 
family-name Greifen-klau, or the Griffin's Claiv, 
which I conceive must have taken its origin 
from some armorial bearings or device assumed 
by that family. 



Since writing the above, I have met with 
some further information on this subject. In 
the curious Latin poem of Ruodlieb, written in 
the tenth or eleventh century, we find at the 
beginning a description of the hero sallying forth 
from his home in quest of adventure, accompanied 
by a single esquire. At verse 27 we read — 

Pendet et a niveo sibimet gripis ungula collo, 
Ungula non tota, medii cubiti modo longa, 
Quae post ad latum vel praedecoratur ad artum 
Obryzo mundo, cervino cinctaque loro, 
Non ut nix alba, tamen ut translucida gemma ; 
Quam dum perflabat, tuba quam melius reboabat. 

It appears that this was a hunting horn, such 
as knights wore, adorned with polished brass. 
It was probably made of some unknown foreign 
material, which was pretended to be a griffin's 



303 

claw. It was white and transparent, ut trans- 
lucida gemma. Here we may observe that the 
Greek for Ungula is Onyx, which is also the 
name of a well-known precious stone. 

However, any kind of horn, or horny substance, 
might be called ungula. The editor Grimm 
informs us in a note (page 232) that in Wolfram's 
Willehalm the sharp end of a lance is formed of 
a griffin's claw (grifen Ma), and in other old 
poems, shields and cups are made of this material. 
Onyx would certainly be an excellent material 
for cups or vases. 

Nardi parvus onyx, eliciet cadum. — (Hor.) 



Westmacott was probably the Anglo-Saxon 
term for a Banker or Money-lender. From 
Wcestm, interest or usury; and Scot or Sceat, 
Money. For examples of the compound word, 
Wcestm-sceat, see Bosworth's Dictionary. 



Fairfax. — The Fair-haired; from fax or fax, 
hair. 

Harold Har-fager had a name of similar import. 
The Norman name corresponding is Le Blond, 
which we have changed into Blount and Bland. 



Herapath. — This name signifies in Anglo-Saxon 



304 

the Great Road, or the King's Highway (Anglo- 
Sax. Herepath, Herpath). 

If we take Hera in the sense of Army (Heer 
in German ; Har in Swedish), the term corre- 
sponds to our " Military Road." 

If we take Hera to mean Master (Herr in 
German), the phrase then answers exactly to the 
Italian strada maestra, the great road. 



Dobree. — The same as UAubry: from Alberic 
or Albrecht, or even Albert 



Perceval and Perceforest are two fine old 
chivalrous names : from the old Teutonic verb 
pirsen, to hunt. But I suppose that this verb 
took its origin from perfer, to force one's way. 

to Issue. 

From the old French Issir, participle Issu. 
E eels issir e eels entrer.* — {Roman de Ron, 
p. 299.) 

Issir is the Latin Ewire, Italian Uscire. 

Usher. 
From the French Jluissier, a doorkeeper, 

* " And these to go out, and those to come in." 



305 

which comes from the old word Huis, a door, 
Ital. Uscio, whence Usciere, an Usher. 

Since the Italian verb uscire is evidently con- 
nected with the Latin ewire, this enables ns to per- 
ceive the true etymology of the old French word 
Huis, a door ; namely, that it is identical with 
the old Teutonic preposition* Hus, or Aus, signi- 
fying Out, and answering to the Latin Ex, 
Greek E£, Persian Ez. 

From the Teutonic Aus, written Os, come 
the Latin words Ostium, a door, and Os, a mouth, 
for instance the mouth of a river, its Out-let. 
Usher corresponds to the Latin Ostiarius, a door- 
keeper, Ital. Usciere, and Ostium is identical with 
the Italian Uscio, TI and CI being continually 
permuted. 

Hobby. 

" To mount his hobby." From the Danish 
Hoppe, a mare. It is remarkable that the Greek 
Hippe, a mare, only differs by one letter. 

Conrad. 
This name may very probably mean " Bold in 



* Similarly, the word Door (Svpa, Germ. Thor and Thur) is 
identical with the preposition Thorough, Germ. Durch. 

2 R 



306 

Counsel" (Germ. Kuhn-ratli) answering to Thra- 

syhulus in Greek. 

Catkins. 

The pendent flowers of the hazelnut and 
some other trees are so called. 

These flowers are sterile, and produce no fruit. 

They are called in French Chatons, i. e. little 
cats, of which the English " catkins " is a literal 
translation. 

It is, however, not likely that the name can 
be derived from the Cat. 

I rather think that the French word chatons 
is a corruption of chdtrons, from the verb chdtrer, 
in Latin castrate, implying that this kind of 
flowers are always sterile and unproductive. 

Wanton. 

Sportive, roving. " The wanton wind " — fickle, 
changeable, capricious. 

The true etym is admitted to be very uncer- 
tain. The one proposed by Minshew is singularly 
absurd (it may be seen in Johnson's Dictionary). 

Wanton comes, most probably, from the Old 
German wantelen, to change ; modern Germ, wan- 
deln, to change. 

The verb to wander is nearly related. So is 
the German wenden, to turn. 



307 

Walnut. 

Walnut is a corruption of Gaul-nut, the nut 
of Gaul, or France. 

Lhuyd says, it is called in German Walsch- 
nuss, that is, the Italian nut, and in Belgic 
Wall nota, which means the same. In Wales 
it is called the French nut, and in Bretagne it 
is called the Galek or Gallic nut. 

It is well known that Gallia and Wallia are 
the same word, denoting Gaul, and also Northern 
Italy (Cisalpine Gaul), and that the modern 
Germans still continue to call Italy " Welsch 
land," though the progress of refinement is now 
beginning to substitute " Italien." 

Haggard, a Hag. 
From the Cornish hagar, ugly, in Welsh liagr. 
It seems uncertain whether the German Hewe, 
a Witch, is related to the word Hag, or not. 
Hager, in German, is thin, meagre, dried up. 

Wax. 
Wax, Anglo-Sax. Weax. Bosworth says, in 
his Anglo-Sax. Dictionary, that Adelung is 
doubtful whether it is of Slavonic origin, or 
whether it is derived from the old German week, 
soft. 



308 

There ought not to be any doubt that the 
latter opinion is the correct one. Wax is the 
chosen emblem of all that is soft and weak. It 
is so soft, that it takes every impression, and 
assumes, without resistance, every shape which 
the moulder pleases. 

Horace, in his character of a young man, 
says — 

Cereus in vitium flecti. — He is soft as wax, 
and easily moulded to mischief. 

I have no doubt, therefore, that Wax comes 
from the adj. weak ; Germ, weich ; Old Saxon, 
wee, weki, mollis, debilis (see Schmeller's Vocabu- 
lary, page 127). 

Polecat. 

So called, according to Johnson, because they 
abound in Poland ; but Thomson does not admit 
this etymology. 

Perhaps it meant "fur cat." The skins of the 

marten, ermine, sable, and other similar animals, 

are much esteemed. Pole may have meant fur. 

Compare the Anglo-Saxon pylca, a fur garment, 

Germ, pelz, fur, and fell, skin, Lat. pellis, and 

Anglo-Sax. pcell, a cloak, which is the Latin 

pallium. 

to Bruise. 

Related to the French briser, to break ; and 



309 

to the Anglo-Sax. brysan, to bray in a mortar. 

A hard substance is often said to be bruised in 

a mortar, when it is pounded or reduced to small 

fragments. 

Penny. 

In German pfennig. Perhaps belonging to the 
same class of words with the Latin pendere, to 
pay. 

I would observe, however, that in Welsh and 
Breton pennig means a little head (dimin. of pen, 
the head), and this seems a very simple and 
natural name for a small coin, with the head of 
the King stamped upon it. This conjecture is 
confirmed by the name of another small coin, 
the tester, from old French, teste, the head. 

That a coin much used in Britain should have 
a name of Celtic origin is not improbable, since 
the Britons coined money even before Caesar's 
invasion, bearing the legend of their king Sego- 
nax.* 

Jackdaw. 

A Daiv has nearly the same name in old 
German, viz. talia. The pramomen of Jack seems 
to have been acquired as follows. 

The Cornish name is Chough, and also Shauk, 

* Hawkins. 



310 

which Lhuyd spells Tshauk* a sound which 
(written in English letters) comes very near Jauk 
or Jock. But Jock in an English mouth would 
very soon become familiarized into Jack. In 
fact, Jock is the Scotch way of pronouncing Jack. 

Wren. 

The golden-crested Wren might be supposed to 
mean la reine, the queen of little birds, since it 
is called regulus in Latin, and bears similar names 
in other languages. But the Cornish name is 
guradnaiv\ or Gurannan, which seems related to 
Couronne (a crown, or golden crest). And 
gurannan in another orthography becomes Wran- 
nan, which is not unlike Wren. The change of 
Gu into W is a perfectly familiar one. 

Scorn. 

Scorn, Ital. scher no and scorno. 

The origin of this word has, I think, escaped 
all who have written on the English language, 
and it really deserves explanation. 

It is a coarse, but forcible metaphor, such as 
were common in the infancy of language, and 



* Lhuyd, Archseol. p. 34. f Ibid. p. 33. 



311 

such as the common people still prefer to use in 
their rude rhetoric, even at the present day. 

Scorn is nothing else than the Danish word 
Skarn, meaning dirt, ordure, mud, mire, &c. 

Pelting with mud was and is a very natural 
expression of scorn and contempt. "Fling dirt 
enough — and some of it will stick," was the 
advice of Dean Swift to all political writers. 

Even the classic Greeks had exactly the same 
metaphor ; 7rpo7rr{haxi%eiv, to insult, but literally 
" to fling dirt," from 7rrfkog, mud. 

If we may trust the accounts of Eastern tra- 
vellers, no phrase is commoner in the mouth 
of a Persian than that of " eating dirt ;" when 
we should say, " suffering contumely and scorn." 

I think all doubt must be removed of this 
being the true origin of the word Scorn, when 
we observe that the Danish word Skarn (filth or 
mire) is used in a metaphorical sense as well 
as in a literal one. For instance, Skarnstykke 
means a piece of malice or scorn. 



The above suggests the probable etym. of the 
Greek verb a-xspfioXXsiv, to insult, or treat a 
person with ignominy. It is a-xwp fia'h'hsiv, that 
is, literally, "to throw dirt." This is much pre- 



312 

ferable to the common etymology (from xyp, the 
heart), which, indeed, explains nothing. 

Disaster. 

The primitive meaning of the word is thus 
defined by Johnson — " The blast or stroke of an 
unfavourable planet." 

Few opinions are more ancient. We read 
that " the stars in their courses fought against 
Sisera."* 

Unfortunate lovers were formerly said to be 
star-crost. 

Crost by the stars, that is, thwarted by the 
stars, f 

" Crossed in love " is still a familiar expression ; 
and we say, " an illstarred undertaking." 

Anker. 

Johnson defines this to be " a liquid measure, 
chiefly used at Amsterdam." 

Perhaps it comes from Amphora, which was 



* Judges v. 20. 

f To thwart a person, is to place an obstacle athwart or across 
his path. From the Anglo -Sax. thweor or thwer, crooked, 
oblique. To cross had the same meaning : — It crosses my design 
(Dryden). By fortune crost (Addison). 



313 

used as a measure by the ancients. KpjTTjpa 

a>$ SexcLfjiQopov {Eur.), "a vase or urn 

holding- about ten amphorae." 

to Purl. 

Freshet or purling brook. — {Milton.) 
Sounds that procure sleep ; as the wind, the 
furling of water, and humming of bees. — {Bacon.) 

The brook that purls along 
The vocal grove. 

Thomson. 

Johnson adds to these examples, that Lye 
derives the word from the Swedish porla, to 
murmur. It is also, I think, evidently the 
Spanish parleria, "the gentle murmuring of wa- 
ters." 

In French parler is simply to speak; but in 
Spanish parlar is to speak much, or fast : to chatter. 

Hence parleria, which means the singing of 
birds, the purling of brooks, or any kind of 
garrulity, and loquacity. 

to Contrive. 

Old French Contreuve, an invention, a false- 
hood. 

Controuver, to feign, forge, invent, imagine. 

2 s 



314 

Sultry, 

The same as Sweltry (see Johnson's Dictionary), 
from the verb to Swelter, 

Perhaps originally derived from Sol, the sun, 
a word found not only in Latin, but likewise in 
Danish and Swedish. And also sometimes in 
Anglo-Saxon, as Sol-monath, February, and Sol- 
scBce, the Sun-flower. 

Charm. 

Charm, in the sense of "magical incantation," 
is derived from the Latin Carmen, a song. 

Ducite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, ducite Daphnim. 
Carmina vel coelo possunt deducere Lunam, 
Carminibus Circe socios mutavit Ulyssei, 
Frigidus in pratis cantando rumpitur aDguis, 
Ducite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, ducite Daphnim. 

Virgil. 

And Horace also assures us that — 

Carmine Dii Superi placantur, carmine Manes. 

But the word " charming " is also used in the 
simple meaning of beautiful, without any allusion 
whatever to magic, or to song and poetry. As 
when we say, " a charming day :" — " charming 
weather :" — " the charms of youth and beauty." 

In this sense is the word derived from Carmen, 
or not ? Johnson says that it is, and he has 



315 

been followed by others. But I am disposed to 
agree with Passow, that Charm, in the sense of 
grace, loveliness, and beauty, is the Greek xapfxoc, 
or C/iarma, derived from x a ? l S- Xapig or Charis 
is the well-known term in Greek for grace, 
favour, gracefulness, beauty, or loveliness/ Here 
are some examples: 

KaXXsi' xai x a P l(rt (rrihficov. — (Homer.) 

®e(T7rs<ririv fta.pa rcpys %af>iv xars%Eueu AGrjvr}. 

(Idem.) 

" Minerva shed o'er him a charm divine," or 
"a grace divine." 

And the three Graces, the represensatives of 
female beautv, are named in Greek the Charites. 

Hence it appears probable that Charm is from 
^ap/^a and x a ?^- But, nevertheless, it has long 
ago united itself in meaning with Charm (from 
Carmen), and their union has produced a singu- 
larly poetical intermediate idea, that of the 
mysterious power of. beauty — beauty which enchants 
the beholder, and fascinates the eye. 

No words are so expressive, none are so rich 
and powerful, as those which have two origins, 
and present them to the mind in union. 

How little has the philosophy of language yet 
advanced, when we perceive that this great prin- 
ciple has been hitherto almost unobserved ! 



316 

to Devise. 

To Devise property. To bequeath it by will. 
To make a Division of it. Hence the verb is 
derived, according to Menage. 

Compare the Greek word for a Will or Tes- 
tament, Aia6r}X7), literally, Disposition, Disposal, 
Distribution, or Division. 

Device. 

A distinctive emblem or symbol. In French 
Devise. 

" Knights errant used to distinguish themselves 
by devices on their shields." — (Addison.) 

Devise seems derived from diviser, to distinguish 
or separate. 

In the Roman de Rou (p. 305) we read, that 
William II. was called Ros (Rufus in Latin) por 
devise, because his father had the same name of 
William. 

Por devise is "for distinction." And in this 
instance the devise was not an emblem, but 
merely a distinguishing name. 

Great ingenuity and skill were often employed 
in framing the devises, and thence perhaps arose 
the phrase " a cunning device," and the use of 
the word device in the sense of invention or con- 
trivance. 



317 



From the Latin Umbo, a Boss. This is con- 
firmed by the French word for Hump-backed: 

viz. Bossu. 

Malapert. 

Our etymologists have not perceived that Apert 
is an old French word, signifying taught (the 
same as appris) ; and that Malapert consequently 
means Ill-taught, or ill-bred, or rude. 

Charles's Wain. 

The constellation Ursa Major. 

A corruption of Ceorles Wain, i. e. the Country- 
man's Waggon. 

Derived from Cewl, a Churl ; i. e. Countryman 
or Husbandman. 

Cymbeline. 

Cunobelinus. The first part of the name may 
be the Anglo-Saxon Sunu, a Son ;* the second 
part may be Belenus, the name of the Gaulish 
Apollo ; so that the whole may mean Son of the 
Sun. Kings frequently assumed that magni- 
ficent title: the Egyptian Pharaohs always did, 
as is well known. 

* Or Cyn (the Latin Genus), which means Kin, kindred, race, 
or family. Sunu is probably a word of the same origin. 



318 

I may take this opportunity to make a remark 
on the line in Horace : — 

Occidit Daci Cotisonis agmen. 

The name of this Dacian, Cotison, appears to 
mean Gottes sohn, or Dei films. This pompous 
title he may have assumed in imitation of the 
Greek names Diogenes, Diognetus, Theognis. 

Here G is changed into C ; so in the name of 
the Catti (probably the same originally with the 
Goti or Gothi), and in the old German word Colt 
for Gold. 

English Surnames. 

Griffinhoof {continued). — Since writing the for- 
mer article on this name, I have somewhat unex- 
pectedly lighted upon more facts connected with 
the fabulous "griffins claw." 

If we turn to Gesenius's Hebrew Lexicon, 
page 994, and to the end of the thirtieth chapter 
of Exodus, in the translation of the LXX, we 
find that Ovu§ was a certain celebrated per- 
fume. Gesenius explains it : " Unguis* odoratus " 



* There is a somewhat puzzling connection between the words 
unguent and unguis — when the latter was odoriferous, as in the 
text, the resemblance is too striking to be overlooked — yet it is 
difficult to explain. So Horace has " nardi parvus onyx" where 



319 

— sweet claw : and also " operculum seu testa 
conchylii " — a kind of shell found in India, giving 
out a perfume when burnt, now called " The 
DeviVs Claw" (Teufels-klaue), a remarkable name, 
which Gesenius does not explain. 

Now, if we turn to the article preceding this 
one, in Gesenius, we find that this perfume takes 
its name (in Hebrew) from a poetical word, gene- 
rally signifying a Lion, but which in Psalm xci. 
13, is* used to signify a serpent, dragon, basilisk, 
or griffin. The Devil being compared in Scrip- 
ture both to a lion and a serpent, these names 
all agree together ; and we see how it happened 
that the same thing was called onyx, lion's claw, 
greifen-klaue, and teufels-klaue. 

And Schleusner, under the word ovv{*, informs 
us that Dioscorides calls it unguis odoratus, and 
Pliny, ostr actum, i. e. shell : moreover, that it is 
found in India in those marshes where nardi spica 
(or spikenard) grows, whence the shell acquires 
its sweet odour. Here again compare Horace : 
" Nardi parvus onyx? When the Nard was 

some will say, the vase was made of onyx-stone. But the per- 
fume called Onyx by the Greeks (Exodus xxx.) was not named 
from the vase inclosing it, but was itself an unguis odoratus. 

* See Schleusner, Lex. V. T. under the word atnrig, page 
382. 



320 

poured out, Horace's onyx would smell sweet 
from it ; but that is quite a different matter from 
a shell naturally sweet-scented, and shows that 
there was some great confusion in the ancient 
ideas concerning it. (See the next article.) 

Cloves. 

I have already considered the name of this 
Indian perfume (at p. 19), but I wish to add a 
few words here, which must be considered as sup- 
plementary to the article which immediately pre- 
cedes the present one. 

The onyx of the ancients was a certain cele- 
brated Indian perfume ; in its scent resembling 
the spikenard. I have treated of it in the last 
article ; but, in fact, its history is involved in 
almost inextricable confusion. What perfume or 
spice they intended by that name has, I believe, 
never been determined. 

I shall therefore take the liberty to offer a 
conjecture, founded on the fact that the German, 
or rather the Indo-German languages were ex- 
tensively prevalent in Central Asia in early 
times, whence the Persian still greatly resembles 
the German and English in many of its words. 
I conjecture then that the spice called Onyx 
was really the Clove. For, that fragrant pro- 



321 

duction of the East must have been exten- 
sively employed from the very earliest times, and 
it was probably the oi/u§ which was one of the 
chief ingredients in the holy perfume of the 
Hebrew temple service. (See Exodus, xxx.) 

Now the spice called Clove is in Spanish Clavo, 
in French Clou, or Clou de Giroile, from the 
Latin Clavus. 

And Ovug means in English, a Claw : in 
Germ, klaue : and in Danish Klov. Most etymo- 
logists concur in saying that claws are so called 
because they are cloven. 

Comparing the two series of names together, 
especially the Danish form of the word, which 
renders ovug by Klov, is it not quite manifest that 
the claw, and the clove spice, had in the Indo- 
Germanic languages pretty nearly the same sound? 

Thus the two names were very easily con- 
founded together ; a thing which frequently hap- 
pened, for the ancients were very careless and 
credulous in such matters, and seldom understood 
foreign languages. 

But perhaps such a mistake would not have 
occurred, if it had not been that vases were 
really manufactured of shell, horn, alabaster, and 
other semi-transparent substances, resembling the 
unguis, ungula^ or ovt>§ of certain animals, and 

2 T 



322 

these very vases were afterwards employed to 
hold precious perfumes, which came from the 
remote and unknown regions of the East.* 

Mote. 
Mote : a spot, a speck. " Why beholdest thou 
the mote that is in thy brother's eye?" — Mattli. 
vii. 3. 

Related to the adjective mottled, i. e. spotted, 
speckled. 

Knee-pan. 

Called also in Latin a pan (patella) : but the 
resemblance to a pan is so small that I think 
the name arose from a misapprehension. The 
Germanic tribes doubtless called it in their lan- 
guage Knee-ban, or bone of the knee (Anglo- 
Saxon, ban, a bone), and this appears to have 
been mistranslated in Latin. 

Names of places in England. 
Garstang, Lancashire. At first sight this name 

* The English word nail has two significations ; both, how- 
ever, are sharp and piercing things, and they seem to have been 
one word originally. First, a nail is ovu£, unguis. Secondly, it 
is the Latin clavus. Hence a new connection manifests itself 
between ovv% and clavus, which throws some light upon the sub- 
ject treated of in the text. 



323 

resembles the old English garstang, the handle of 
a spear or pike; but it more probably means a 
large pond or lake in which gar-fish or pike were 
kept. French estang, etang, Lat. stagnum. 



Tickencote, Rutland. Like sheep-cote, dove-cote, 
&c. Ticcen is the Anglo-Saxon name fcr a Kid. 



Gateshead, Durham. Means the Goafs head, 
as is evident from the Anglo-Saxon name of the 
town, Hrcege-heqfd. 

Hrcege, a goat, is probably the Greek Tpoiyog. 

Down. Downward. 

Generally derived from the Anglo-Sax. Dune, 
a hill: an opinion which, though ingeniously 
supported, is encumbered with great difficulties. 

In particular, the word " downward " ought to 
mean " hill-ward," that is, " upward." 

I rather believe that down is the Breton word 
dun (deep), in Welsh dwfn. 

Pains and penalties : to take pains. 

Pains and penalties : a penal offence : and 
punishment, are evidently derived from 71-0*1/73, 
poena, and punire. 



324 

Anglo-Sax. Pine, pain, punishment : pinan, to 
punish, torture ; also to suffer pain ; to pine. 

Pain is also the French peine; as, "he com- 
manded every one on pain of death to obey 
him." — " II y a peine de mort pour qui desobeira." 

But the phrases " prenez la peine de venir ici," 
&c, and the English " those who take pains will 
be certain to excel," &c, are derived from the 
Greek ttovo$, trouble or labour. 

This shews the connexion between wopog and 
poena, 7rowr}, &c. 

Yiovsiv is to work, to labour, to take trouble : 
but it often means to be greatly troubled or 
pained; to fall sick, &c. &c. 

Now irovog comes from neveo-dou, to labour, as 
in Homer: ri as %f>r) tolutol 7rsus<r6on — why should 
you take that trouble? 

Which verb also signifies "to be very poor," 
as in Theocritus : — 

rioAAo/ roi 7tAoutouo-/ xolxoi, ayocdoi $s ttsvwtoli. 

So that wzvia poverty, is evidently related to 
7rovog trouble, and to peine and pain. But to 
pursue this subject would lead too far. 

Reed. 

A Reed or Cane (Canna) has always been used 
as a measure of length, on account of its straight- 



325 

ness, and being light and convenient to carry. 
The following examples will evidently shew that 
Reed is the same word with Rod and Rood. 

He measured the east side with the measuring 
reed, five hundred reeds. — (Ezek. chap. 42.) 

The length shall be the length of 25,000 reeds. 

A golden reed to measure the city. 

He measured with the reed 12,000 furlongs. 

There was given me a reed like a rod.* 

The cane and the rod are both instruments of 
correction ; which is another resemblance. 

Arrow. 

There may be some connexion between the 
word Arrow and the Latin Arundo, a reed ; 
because arrows were frequently made of reeds. 

When the Parthian turn'd his steed, 
And from the hostile camp withdrew, 

With cruel skill the backward reed 
He sent ; and as he fled, he slew. 

Prior. 

Hseret lateri lethalis arundo. — ( Virg.) 

Sedge. 
From the Saxon Scecg, a little sword (and a 

* Revelations and Ezekiel. 



326 

plant so named). For this plant is called, from 
the shape of its leaves, the Water gladiolus, which 
means " little sword." The Iris Pseudacorus 
was, no donbt, one of the plants intended under 
the generic or collective name of sedge or gladiole, 
for its leaves are very gladiate or ensiform. 

Kettle. 

Thomson proposes the Latin Catillus. But 
that means a little dish ; and was sometimes 
made of wood: ligneo catillo coenans Curius. — 
(Valer. Maw) 

Kettle is probably the Greek Xurpa, Ionice 
Kwrpa. 

The Greeks had a very expressive proverb: 
Ze* %i)Tf>a. £Vj $>iA/a,* " boil kettle, live friend- 
ship." Compare the story of Timon of Athens. 

Birch. 
The Birch tree; Scot. Birk, is apparently 
derived from Virga, a Rod. 

Virgis ccedere, to beat with rods. 

to Fag. 
Fagged is the French fatigue, worn out. 

* Gaisf. Paroem. p. 141. 



327 

The fag-end of a thing means when it is come 
to an end, or quite worn out, or worn threadbare. 

Tableau fatigue, a worn-out picture. Couleurs 
fatiguSes. Un homme de fatigue, a man who fags 
much : a fag. " II fatigue trop "—he fags too 
much. — (Diet, de VAcad.) 

In Italian fatica, but in the Paduan dialect 
faiga, which is our word fag : " na gran faiga " 
— " una gran fatica." * 

Styptic, to Steep. 

Styptic : possessing an astringent quality : from 
the Greek (rrtxpsiv, astringere. 

To Steep a thing in a liquid also comes from 
cTvfysiu, as tJ (TTu^/ig rcov SsppoLTcov, the steeping, 
that is, the tanning of skins. Another expression 
was fioLTTsiv ^sp^oLTOL, to dip skins, or leave them 
to soak in the tanning liquor. 

Stiff, to Stiffen. 

To Stiffen is the same with <rru$£iv, astringere. 
Stiff is (TTixpog, (TTixppog, (rru(pXog, also written 

GTKppog.f 

* Dellerime in lingua rustica Padovana, p. 7. Venice 1620. 

t I and U had often the same sound in Greek ; for instance, 
cnipayZ,, otherwise avpiy%, a cavern ; and crrvirog, in Latin 
stipes, a stick or club. 



328 

to Stuff. Stuffy, to Stifle. 

Stuffy : very crowded, stuffed up. French 
estouffe, etouffe. 

To Stuff is the Lat. stipare. The Greek 
(TTufyeiv is also related (see the preceding article). 
Stifled also answers to the French estouffe. 

Examples : — " stipatum tribunal," a crowded 
court of justice. " Vesselx estuffez de gens 
darmes et archers " — vessels crowded with troops. 
— {Norman French.)* 

Scurrility. 

From the Latin Scurra : a word which has 
various meanings — all of them bad. 

It probably comes from orxcop (in Danish slcarn), 
mud, filth, &c. : whence <rxep[3oXheiv is derived 
(see p. 311), and also perhaps <rxopctxi%eiv, both 
verbs denoting the use of scurrilous language. 

to Sweep, a Swoop. 

To Sweep is related to the Latin Scopa, a 
broom, exactly as to swim is related to scum, 
which rises and swims on the surface of a liquid 
(see page 84). 

From sweep is derived a swoop. 

* Proceedings of the Privy Council, II. 81. 



329 

At one fell swoop. — (Shaksp.) 
The Eagle at a swoop carried away, &c. — 
(I? Estrange.) 

Johnson, however, did not perceive the etymo- 
logy of this word.* 

It is chiefly used of large birds of prey.- Shak- 
speare speaks of " sweeping with swift wings." 
And so in German: " der Adler Odins mich 

umschwebt." 

Catherine. 

Perhaps originally from the Greek KaSaprj, 
pure, chaste; whence the diminutive Katharina. 

HSloise. 

Heloise is the feminine of Louis, and therefore 
the same with Loyse, Louise, or Louisa. 

Louis was formerly written Hlouis, Hlovis, 
Clovis, &c. &c. 

Gum Mastic. 

Gum Mastic is so named, because it is mas- 
ticated, or chewed. See the account given of it 
by Mr. Hogg,f who, however, does not notice 
this curious etymology. 

"It is obtained by making incisions in the 

* He says that it is " probably formed from the sound." 
t Hooker's Journal of Botany, vol. i. p. 109. 

2 u 



330 

bark, from which it exudes in drops, or tears, 
and soon concretes by the heat of the sun. 

" The Turkish belles keep up the ancient custom 
of chewing it, in order to preserve the gums, 
clean the teeth, and give an aromatic flavour to 
the breath. Martial mentions mastic toothpicks. 
The gum is called by Dioscorides Mao-T/^73. 

"It was used for a dentifrice — [xiyuurai <r[i.r)y- 
[KCLdiv oSqvtcm. Being chewed, it gives a sweet 
scent to the breath — o-rojU,aTO£ svcofiiav noisi ha- 
fxa(r(ra)[Asvr). The modern Greeks call it Maa-nxa. 
In Sicily it is called Mastice." 

Here we have a curious instance of a Greek 
word directly borrowed from the Latin language. 

Eyas. 

An old name for a Hawk. It was indifferently 
written an Eyas, or a Nias. 

In the same way, people said indifferently an 
adder, or a nadder : an eft, or a newt.* 

A Nias, in old Italian Niaso,f is certainly the 
Latin Nisus, a hawk, of which no etym is to 
be found in Valpy's Dictionary. 



* And so in French, un nombril for un ombril or ombil (umbi- 
licus). 

f Florio's Dictionary. 



331 

Cotgrave says : " a nias faulcon, niard in 
French." 

Gruff. 

Gruff, rude in manner, is the Holl. grof: 
Germ. grob. It is also connected with the word 
rough, and the Latin rndis. 

Groove. 

A Groove is a very small channel which is 
graven or hollowed out on a surface. 

From the Holl. groeve, a groove; also a ditch 

(in Germ, grabe) ; also a subterranean cavern (in 

Germ, griift). 

Grub. 

A Grub is so named because it grubs (that is, 
digs or burrows) in the earth. Germ, grube, a 
mine: gruben-arbeit, the working of a mine. 

Eglantine. 

The Sweet-briar : or any other pleasant flower. 
The etym is doubtful. 

Ayglantine (from aigle) is a French name for 
the Aquilegia, which we call " Columbine" not 
regarding what Horace says : — 

" nee imbellem feroces 
Progenerant aquilce columbam." 



332 

But perhaps the real Eglantine was the honey- 
suckle. 

Theocritus's goats were fond of a certain plant 
called Aiyi'Kov (from A*§, a goat), which was 
perhaps the Caprifolium, Chevre-feuille, or Honey- 
suckle. 

TOLl [ASV E[AOLl XVTKTOV TE TiOLl OLiyihW OUy£$ sboVTl. 

Theocr. v. 128. 
Aiyfoov in English letters would be Eglon ; and 
from Eglon we easily obtain the diminutive Eglan- 
tine. 

Tansy. Pansy. 

There appears in autumn a tribe of plants of 
the composite family, having for the most part 
yellow flowers, and called in English everlastings ; 
in French immortelles. The Greek name for the 
Everlasting is Athanasia, which has been cor- 
rupted into Tansy, in the following manner. 

The first vowel in AQavaoria was dropped 
through careless pronunciation : then the TH was 
sounded like a hard T, as in German.* The 
word thus became Tanasy, and by a still further 
contraction, Tansy. 

This etymology is important on another ground : 



* Thus, for instance, the Greek Or}p is in German Thier ; 
but it is pronounced Tier (that is, like tear or tier in English). 



333 

because it affords a clear and indisputable proof 
that the word AQamo-ia was so accented, and not 
as A$otva<na* 

The plant now called Tansy is not, accurately 
speaking, one of the Everlastings ; it is, however, 
very closely allied to them. 

The genus has been named Tanacetum by bota- 
nists. 



As we have found that Tansy is derived from 
Tanasia or Tanacea, we are led to conjecture that 
Pansy may be derived from Panacea : and the 
truth of this conjecture is almost certain. For 
the Panacea of the Greeks was a most celebrated 
herb : its name ttolvolksiol signifying All-heal, tout- 
sain, tutsan, a remedy for all diseases and sor- 
rows : hence the name of Pansy. If any one 
doubts it, let him consider the other name of the 
Pansy, which is Hearts-ease, implying that it is a 
cure for all woes.j- 

The French etymology of Pansy (pense'e, a 

* It is well known that Alexandria was accented on the 
penultimate, and not Alexandria, as we now call it. The female 
name Sophia (wisdom) retains the true accent of that word. 

f As this etym of pansy from panacea was first suggested to 
me by the analogy of tansy, I am glad to find that Johnson has 
fallen on the same conjecture. 



334 

thought) is very beautiful, but it is not the true 
one. 

Oil 

Oil: in Greek Elceiim, shaiov: Anglo-Saxon 
Ml, or Ele, whence the verb to an-ele, or anoint. 

These words are derived, as I think, from the 
old European term //, meaning Fire. 

This is still found in the Danish {lid, fire), 
but slightly disguised by a superfluous D added 
at the end, according to the fashion of that 
language.* 

The ancient Asiatics appear to have worshipped 
the Element of Fire by the name of LI, or Hx : 
a worship which other nations transferred to 
Kpovog, *H?uo£, &c. But I must defer this sub- 
ject to another occasion. 

Eel. Lamprey. 

Eel: in Anglo-Saxon Ml and Ele; which 
words also mean Oil. It is evident that the eel 
was so named because of its oily nature. 

Lamprey, from Xa.[jt,7rpo§, because it is shining, 
oily, slippery, &c., &c. 

Aa^wpos is from "ka^wu), to shine : whence 



* So they say skind for skin ; mand for man. And so chiel in 
Scotch, for child in English. 



335 

also a lamp is derived, which burns by means of 
oil. Thus the names of the two fishes are 
brought into connexion. 

Map. 

A Map : Ital. Mappa-monda, quasi mappa 
mundi in Latin (literally " sheet of the world ") : 
we still say that a map is published in so many 
sheets. 

Mappa and Nappa are the same word, which is 
a most curious instance of the permutation of M 
and N.* 

Lat. Mappa, a tablecloth. Ital. Nappa, a 
tablecloth, a Nap (whence our diminutive Napkin). 
Nappa-mondo, a map of the world. 

These are the old Italian forms (see Florio's 
Dictionary). 

Mat. 

A Mat, in French Natte, is another curious 
instance of the permutation of M and N. 

Towel. Mantle. Nap. 

Towel (toalla in Spanish) is connected with the 
French toile, a cloth ; Lat. tela, cloth, whence 
man-tele, a towel (literally, hand-cloth). 

* So Mespilus, Nespolo : Nasturtium, Mastuerzo : &c, &c. 



336 

...tonsisque ferunt mantilla villis. 

Virg. 

villis mantele solutis. 

Ovid. 

This word is also used in the sense of mantle 
or cloak. 

"Nee mendaciis mihi mantelium est meis" — I 
have no cloak for my knavery. — (Plautus.) 

Nap, the fine surface of cloth : perhaps from 
the Ital. nappa, cloth. 

to Cloy. Clay. 

Johnson derives this word from the French 
enclouer, to nail up ; but this is quite erroneous. 

To Cloy is related to the following words : to 
clog : Dan. Klceg, sticky, slimy : to cleave to a 
thing, or stick to it : Clay, or slime, in Anglo- 
Saxon clceg ; so called because it clogs the feet 
of the walker, and cleaves to them. 

Clogs. 

Clogs are probably so called as being clog- 
shoes, or shoes used in walking through the clog 
or clay (Anglo-Saxon clceg). 

to Cling. 
No doubt Clcegan was one of the old Teutonic 



337 

words for " to cleave, adhere, stick to a thing," 
whence Danish Mceg, sticky. To Cling is the 
same verb, with the usual insertion of N before 
G, as in 6iysw, Qiyyavew : locusta, Sp. langosta, 
&c. &c. 

Clover. 

Clover, or Clover -grass, Germ. Klee-blatt, is so 
called because its leaves are cloven in three. 

a lass 

Than primrose sweeter, or the clover-grass. 

Gay. 

Runagate. 

Runagate, a deserter. This word, according 
to Johnson, is corrupted from Renegade (one 
who deserts his faith). 

The two words have indeed been confused 
together : nevertheless I believe that a runagate 
is a genuine old English word, being the same as 
a runaway. For every one knows that a way 
was formerly called a gate : thus East-gate, 
West-gate (names of streets) : other-gates, for 
other-ways, or otherwise. 

" When Hudibras, about to enter 
Upon another-gates adventure " 



In Psalm lxviii. 6 we read: "He letteth the 
runagates continue in scarceness." 

2 x 



338 

In this passage, instead of " runagates " others 
translate "rebels," or "apostates," or "rene- 
gades." 

It is possible, indeed, that the word renegade 
(F. renegat) may not be genuine, but may be 
only the word runagate disguised in a Latin dress 
(which has happened to so many words — an effect 
of the half-learning of the middle ages). For if 
it be indeed the Latin participle renegans (one 
who denies), why has the passive renegatus been 
substituted ? Moreover, I believe the verb renegare 
is not found in any Latin author. 

If, however, renegade be a genuine word, then 
we must admit that two different icords, being 
alike in sound and also of the same import, 
have become united into one. 



A remark may here be made, perhaps of some 
importance to philology. The French say nier 
(in Latin negare) : and they say renier ; but the 
Latins do not say renegare. And why not? 
Because the verb renuere (to deny) has sup- 
planted renegare. The verbs rentier and renier, 
meaning the same thing, were too much alike to 
be both retained in use. The grammarians derive 
renuo from nuo, to nod the head, to make a sign 
of refusal. Abnuo and abnego were, however, both 



339 

retained in use, meaning nearly the same thing : 
as, " Abnueram bello Italiam concurrere Teucris," 
and " Jupiter abnegat imbrem," where we should 
rather have expected abnuit, since the nod of 
Jupiter was so famous. 

Asgal. 

An Asgal, in the dialect of Shropshire, means 
a newt, or small lizard: it is sometimes written 
Askel (Halli well's Dictionary). 

It is truly remarkable that the Greeks had 
the same name for a lizard, viz. A<ntoLha$o$. 

Stern. 

Anglo-Sax. Stym (stern or severe). Con- 
cerning the relations of this word I find nothing 
satisfactory mentioned in the dictionaries. 

Perhaps the following view of it may be 
taken. 

The Latin word Austere, that is, harsh, sour, 
severe, was written in old English Austern. The 
following examples of it are quoted by Halliwell. 

but who is yond, 

That looketh with sic an austern face ? 

Percy's Reliques. 

To answer the aliens with austerene words. 

Morte Arthure. 



340 

Stern, therefore, may be an abbreviation of 
Austern. 

Saturnine. 

Johnson explains this word " gloomy, grave, 
melancholy: supposed to be born under the 
dominion of Saturn." 

But the name of Saturn sometimes conveys 
the very opposite ideas (happy, golden, &c. 
&c), as Johnson himself says, and quotes the 
line: 

" Augustus, born to bring Saturnian times." 

Here, then, we meet with a contradiction, and 
find the most opposite characters attributed to 
the rule of Saturn. 

But since Saturnine, in the sense of " gloomy, 
grave, severe of temper," appears not to be an 
ancient or classical word, it may, perhaps, not 
unreasonably be deemed the coinage of some bel 
esprit in the middle ages, who fancied that the 
Anglo-Saxon adjective Stym (English Stern) was 
derived from the name of Saturn, and alluded to 
the morose qualities of that planet : and who 
therefore altered the word Stym, as he supposed, 
into the corrector form of Saturnine. This, how- 
ever, is mere conjecture. If the word is genuine, 
we owe it to the alchemists. 



341 

Garret 

From the French Garite (Johns.). This word, 
now spelt guerite (Span, garita), signifies a watch- 
man's turret. It is the German Warte (whence 
Sternwarte, * an observatory, literally " star- 
tower"). 

The verbs to ward and to guard are related 
to this ; also regarder in French, and guardare 
in Italian, which means to watch, or look out 
attentively. 

In Span. Guardilla is a garret, from guardar, 
to watch. 



/* 



The French gatetas, a garret,f is of doubtful 
origin ; but it is probably a singular noun, formed 
from the Spanish plural word garitas, the watch- 
turrets, the top of the building. 

For just in the same way the French singular 
noun un cadenas is derived from the Spanish 
plural cadenas, fetters. 

* Tycho Brahe's observatory, which bore the magniloquent 
name Uraniborg (quasi ovpavov irvpyog) might have been 
named Stargard, with the same meaning in a northern tongue. 

f Menage gives a whimsical derivation for galetas. He fancies 
it a corruption of Valetostasium, i. e. " the station or habitation 
of valets." But he gives no evidence of this semi- barbarous term 
having ever been in use. 



342 

Carrick. 
Span. Carrdca, a large ship of burthen, sailing 
slow. From the Ital. caricare, to load. 

Caricature. 

The etym of this easy word has been absurdly 
mistaken by Spelman,* and being omitted by 
Johnson and others, may as well be given here. 

Caricatura, Ital. a drawing much charged, over- 
charged, or exaggerated. From caricare, to charge. 

China. 

The Chinese are the Sinse of the ancients. 

I find the following words in Morrison's Chinese 
Vocabulary. 

Chung-kwok, China (literally, the middle king- 
dom). 

Tong-yun, a Chinese (literally, man of the Tong 
dynasty). 

Tong-wa, the Chinese language. 

These words seem to have little or no resem- 
blance with the name " China," by which the 
country is known to Europeans. But I also find 
in Morrison, Teen-chew, China (literally, Celestial 
Dynasty), derived from Teen, Heaven ; and in 

* Vide addenda to Lemon's Dictionary. 



343 

another author I find it stated that the Chinese 
empire is called by the natives Tien Ma, derived 
from Tien, Heaven. 

This being the case, I think it possible that 
the word Teen or Tien may have given its name 
to China,* more especially as the Since are 
called by Arrian the Tliince. 

Ear of corn. 

It is evident that an Ear of Corn was not so 
named from any resemblance to the ear, or organ 
of hearing, but that it must have had some quite 
different origin. 

Now if we consider the Latin term for it, 
namely Spica, we see its resemblance to Spiculum, 
which means an arrow ; and if we consider this 
a little further, we see that it is not at all casual, 
but that it is an intentional metaphor, and, in 
truth, a very just and natural one. 

For the rising crop is like a field covered 
with little spears. 



* T before I has nearly the same power as the English Sh or 
French Ch, as for instance in the words action, portion. 

In old Latin MSS. tio and cio are used almost indifferently. 

And so we have from vitium, vicious : spatium, spacious : 
gratia, gracious. 



344 

Many passages of the poets allude to this 
resemblance.* 

So in English we speak of blades of corn, 
from this resemblance to miniature sword-blades 
(see the article Blade, page 123). 

From what precedes, I think there can be no 
doubt that the phrase " an Ear of corn " ori- 
ginally meant " an Arrow of corn," i. e. a single 
Blade, Spiculum, or Spica. 

But this conjecture becomes more certain, 
when we recollect the name for an arrow in 
Anglo-Saxon, namely Earh ; whence comes the 
derived term Earh-fere, a quiver (literally, an 
arrow-bearer). 

It is plain, then, that the "Earh of Corn" 
must have been the blade itself, or the single 
spikelet. 

Now as a true etymology usually confirms 
itself in various ways, so in the present instance 
we have further confirmation. For, following the 
same metaphor, our ancestors called a bundle of 
twenty-four arrows tied together, a Sheaf of 
arrows, from its resemblance to a sheaf of Ears, 



* strictisque seges mucronibus horret 

Ferrea Virg. 



345 

or spikes of corn. And in the middle Latin it 
was called garba, a sheaf. 

" Unam garbam sagittarum, scilicet XXIV 
sagittas." 

Another proof that the metaphor of an arrow 
was really intended, is this : that an ear or spike 
of corn is said to be bearded: and so also an 
arrow is said to be barbed, that is, bearded, 

Pasco. Pascal. Noel. Christopher. Toussaint. 

Paskou is a Christian name, used in Bretagne 
for one born on Easter day. 

The French name Basque, often given to a 
servant, probably had at first this meaning, and 
not that of "a native of the Basque provinces." 

Noel signifies one born on Christmas day; 
Christopher, one born on Good Friday, that being 
the day of the Great Sacrifice, the Christ-Opfer 
(see page 108, where I have treated more at 
large of this remarkable etymology). 

And Toussaint signifies one born on All Saints' 
Day, the first of November. 

a Hold, the Hold of a Ship. 
It will be said that the Hold of a ship is so 
called simply because it holds the cargo, and 
requires no further explanation. 

2 Y 



346 

It was, however, originally the same word as 
the Hull of the ship, the final D being added, 
as in man, Danish mand ; and many other words. 

A Hull means a shell, an outside covering, 
hollow in the inside. It is closely connected 
with the words hollow and hole, and with the 
German hohl (cavus), hulle (an envelope or co- 
vering), and the verb hullen, or einhullen, to 
enclose or conceal. 

But, nevertheless, this word has been influenced 
or affected by the verb " to hold," which has easily 
and naturally coalesced with it, and it affords a 
good example of this mutual influence of words. 

Another instance may be seen in the expression 
" the Hold of a wild beast " (see Johnson's 
Dictionary), which is more usually called "the 
Hole of a wild beast," or his den or cave. 

The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air 
have nests. — (Matth. viii. 20.) 

The Lion filled his holes with prey, and his 
dens with ravin. — (Nahum ii. 12.) 

While, on the contrary, we say the Hold of a 
Chieftain, or his stronghold. 

The Douglas in Tantallon hold.— ( W. Scott.) 

The mighty men of Babylon have forborne to 
fight : they have remained in their holds. — (Jere- 
miah li. 30.) 



347 

The two ideas are sometimes still more strictly 
united, or perhaps we should say confused. 

" David therefore departed thence, and escaped 
to the cave Adullam. 

And the prophet Gad said unto David: Abide 
not in the hold ; depart, and get ye into the land 
of Judah." — (1 Samuel, cap, 22.) 

In chapter 24 we are told that David took 
refuge in a cave, in the wilderness of Engeddi. 
Verse 8 — David arose, and went out of the cave, 
and had an interview with Saul. Verse 22 — 
Saul went home, but David and his men "gat 
them up into the hold." 

In the 2nd Book of Samuel, cap. 23, 13 : 

" They came to David unto the cave of 
Adullam. And David was then in an hold" 

Since a prison is often both a stronghold and a 
subterraneous cavern, it is evident that it unites 
both these ideas completely. 

A Hold means a prison in the following pas- 
sage : — 

" The priests and the Sadducees came upon 
*hem ; and they laid hands on them, and put 
them in hold unto the next day ; for it was now 
eventide." — {Acts, cap. 4.) 



348 

Hell. Hela* 

Great part of what has been written in the 
preceding article may be applied to the illus- 
tration of this important word. Thus, for 
instance, there is the closest connexion in German 
between Holle (Hell) and Holile (a subterranean 
cavern). 

In considering the origin of the word Hell, 
meaning the place of departed Spirits in the 
invisible world, it will be well to observe how 
often it is compared to a bottomless pit, or cavern, 
or gulf; and also to a prison: 

Satan shall be loosed out of his prison. — {Reve- 
lations, cap. 20.) 

He went, and preached to the Spirits in 
prison. — (1 Peter iii.) 

And as the Greeks used the term Hades (or 
a'tir}$, the Hidden, the Invisible), so the Teutonic 
verb hullen means to conceal or hide. 

Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither 
wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption. 
— (Ps. xvi. 10.) 

Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the 



* the road 

That led to Hela's dark abode. 



349 

pains of death, because it was not possible that 
he should be holden of it. — (Acts ii. 24.) 

Here the English translator was thinking of a 
prison and bonds. 

the Water of a Jewel. 

We are so accustomed to this expression, that 
when we hear it, it does not strike us as at all 
inappropriate ; the resemblance being supposed 
to refer in some way to the sparkling of water, 
or to its transparency. 

I think, however, that the phrase may owe its 
origin to a mistake. 

Our Saxon ancestors probably were wont to 
say, " a precious stone of the finest or of the 
purest hue" using the Saxon word hiw (colour), 
which was pronounced hue, as in modern English. 
But the Anglo-Normans, not well understanding 
the Saxon tongue, supposed this phrase to mean 
" a precious stone of the finest ewe" that is, of 
the finest water. For in Norman French and 
old English water is called ewe (whence we still 
have the derived word ewer for a vessel to hold 
water). 

And since the sparkling of a diamond resembles 
the sparkling of water, though much excelling it 
in brightness, this expression had a certain degree 



350 

of meaning and propriety, enough, at least, to 
permit its usage to become established. 

Yule. 

In Brand's Popular Antiquities, vol. i. p. 258 
of the new edition of Sir H. Ellis, we read : " I 
have met with no word of which there are so 
many and such different etymologies as this of 
Yule, of which there seems nothing certain but 
that it means Christmas." 

I will therefore add a few observations to what 
I have already said on the subject. 

It is remarkable that both Midwinter and 
Midsummer were called Jule, Iule, or Yule, Mid- 
summer, however, being now slightly altered from 
Jule into July. 

To this it will be said, however, that this 
month was so named in honour of Julius Caesar. 
No doubt it was : but what made Caesar's friends 
first think of doing so? The fact of its being 
so called already in some parts of the Roman 
empire. For this made it easy to bring the 
name into general use. And proofs of the prior 
use of the name can be produced. It therefore 
seems reasonable to inquire what resemblance 
there is between Midwinter and Midsummer, 
which should cause both to receive the same 



351 

appellation ? The resemblance is, that at each of 
these periods there is a solstice : that is, the Sun 
then stops in his course towards the North (or 
the South) pole, and turns towards the opposite 
pole. On Midsummer day he has reached his 
extreme point towards the North, for that reason 
called the tropic, or turning-point (from the Greek 
Tp£7rsiu or Tpo7rsiV, to turn round, or return). 
Now, in the old Northern languages they em- 
ployed the word Wheel to express this turning 
point, and since Wheel was then written in 
different dialects Hiul, Hjul, and so forth, it 
agrees well enough with the name of Yule, other- 
wise ltd, Iol, &c. to render it not improbable 
that such may be the genuine meaning of the 
term Yule. 

This etymology is suggested by the words of 
Beda (de Rat. Temp. cap. 13) — 

" December Guili vocatur. Guili a conversione 
Solis in auctum diei nomen accipit."* 

And it agrees with the valuable remarks of 
Court de Gebelin, quoted in Brand, p. 261. 

It may be conjectured that the custom of 
gathering Misletoe (French Gui) at the season 
of Yule had its origin in the great resemblance 

* Brand, p. 260. 



352 

of its name Gui to that of the month Guili ; for 
our ancestors (and all the ancients) delighted in 
such verbal allusions. 

In Brand's work, p. 249, the following is 
quoted from Borlase's Antiquities of Cornwall, 
p. 91. " When the end of the year approached, 
" the old Druids marched with great solemnity 
" to gather the misletoe of the oak, in order to 
" present it to Jupiter, inviting all to assist at 
" this ceremony, with these words : 'the new year 
" is at hand, gather the misletoe.' " 



Another instance of a custom originating in 
such a verbal allusion, is little known, although 
exceedingly obvious, and its extreme simplicity 
may perhaps to some persons be a cause of 
doubt. 

On Christmas day it is an old custom, still 
remaining in full vigour, to dress the churches 
with branches of the Holly tree ; other ever- 
greens are now added, but the Holly is the 
genuine and good old fashion. Now, what is the 
reason of this ? Chiefly because its name " Holly 
tree " sounded like " Holy tree." The two sounds 
are interchangeable in our language. Witness 
the word Holiday, which we always pronounce 



353 

Holly -day, and not Holy -day, though it means 
the latter. 

In the accounts of St. Laurence's parish, anno 
1505, we read,* " Item, payed for the Holy Bush 
against Christmas, twopence? Ibid, we find other 
payments for "Holy and Ivy at Christmas." 

At page 26 I suggested a different etymology, 
viz. that Yule was an old name for the Sun 
himself, being still so called in the Celtic. 

Mallet says the samef — " They called it Yule 
from the word Hiaul and Houl, which even at 
this day signifies the Sun in the languages of 
Bretagne and Cornwall." 

Orbis in Latin signifies any thing round; it 
embraces both the ideas of the Sun's disk (and 
consequently the Sun himself), and that of a 
wheel. It is therefore not impossible that the 
different etyms of Yule may ultimately be found 
to flow together into one notion of the Sun 
wheeling round. The Greek KvxT^og also unites 
the ideas of wheel and circular disk: and both 
these ideas connect themselves with the Sun. 
Here a curious circumstance may be alluded to, 



* See Brand, p. 286. 

f Northern Antiquities, vol. ii. p. 68, quoted in Brand, p. 260. 

2 z 



354 

which connects itself with the tales and allegories 
of the earliest Hellenic or Pelasgic poetry. 

The original KuxAanJ/ of the ancient Greek 
mythology was the Sun himself. He was the 
Giant — the Great Artificer — the Celestial 'H<pa«r- 
rog — the KwxXanJ/, or Round Face — the Single 

Eye. 

HsX/o£ tf bg woLVT sQopag. 

Horn. II. y. 

The rude portraits of the Sun in very old 
books (doubtless handed down from a much 
greater antiquity) explain the matter perfectly. 
We have only to look at his jolly round face 
and features, surrounded by the rays which 
formed his golden hair,* to understand why the 
simplicity of early ages called him KuxXanJ/, the 
Round Face. 

But now, to return to the remarks of Court 
de Gebelin, quoted in Brand, p. 258, they are 
followed by a criticism deserving of attention. 
It is as follows. 

* $>oi(3og aKEpcriKOfirig, " Phoebus, whose locks are never 
shorn." In imitation of whom, the Gaulish and Gothic kings, 
who pretended to be " Children of the Sun," never cut their 
hair. 

Thus, for instance, Cymbeline means Child of the Sun (Cyn, 
child : Belin, the Sun, or Apollo. Cunobelinus) . 



355 

" Our author goes on, where I think we 
" cannot with safety follow him, to state that 
" it is probable * that July, which follows the 
" summer solstice, has had its name from hence.' 
" This is a striking instance of proving too 
" much : for July and August are certainly 
" Roman names of months. It is the rather to 
" be regretted that our learned foreigner should 
" have done this, seeing that he had already 
" exhibited such a convincing parade of proof, 
" that it must appear like scepticism to doubt 
" any longer of the true origin of this very 
" remarkable word ( Yule)? 

Now, in answer to this I can only say, that 
long before I ever met with this quotation from 
Court de Gebelin, I had from strong independent 
proof arrived at (or rather had been forced to) 
the conclusion, that the months of July and 
August had those names (or at least names of 
very similar sound) before the birth of the Roman 
Emperors Julius Caesar and Augustus. Not 
indeed at Rome, but in other parts of the Roman 
Empire. And that this was the reason why 
their courtiers and flatterers first thought of 
giving these names to the Roman Quintilis and 
Sextilis (a piece of flattery difficult to imagine 
without some motive). And that this was the 



356 

chief reason also why the change succeeded so 
well, while a similar change attempted by Do- 
mitian failed entirely. 

See some remarks in the article "August," 
page 185 of this volume. That article was not 
only written, but printed off, before I met with 
C. de Gebelin's observations on this curious point, 
and even now I am unable to consult the 
original, and know not what additional evidence 
he may have brought forward. Assuredly his 
hypothesis can no longer be disposed of as " a 
striking instance of proving too much :" it may 
perhaps turn out, on the contrary, to be " a 
striking instance " of a successful conjecture. At 
any rate I am glad of his support in so difficult 
an argument. 

It does not seem ever to have occurred to the 
objectors, that both facts might be historically 
true, and were by no means contradictory to each 
other ; namely, that the Gauls had ahcays called 
the month of Harvest Eaust, Aust, or something 
similar, and that Augustus afterwards gave it 
the full sonorous pronunciation of his own name 
in Latin. Why should not this have been the 
case ? Who doubts that the uneducated people 
in the provinces called their Emperor, in common 
parlance, Aust, Aost, and so forth? Witness the 



357 

names of cities, Aosta, Autun, and the name of 
St. Austin. Those who so pronounced, must 
speedily have remarked that the Emperor and 
the month had the same name. The decree of 
the Roman Senate only adopted this idea, and 
legalised the matter. 

Job's tears. 

The name of a well-known plant. 

The old author Tragus tells us that Diosco- 
rides* has named a plant Juno's tears. 

Hence it is not unlikely that some other plant 
was named Jupiter s tears or Jove's tears : which 
some writer of the middle ages has altered into 
Job's tears. 

Many other plants have received their names 
from the gods and goddesses, as flos Jovis : Aiog 
avQog (Dianthus) ; barba Jovis ; speculum Veneris ; 
capillus Veneris ; Aiog xuoL^og ; sanguis Mercurii.f 



The two last names are curious instances of 
the extraordinary changes which the names of 



* See Tragus, p. 211. I cannot find such a passage, however, 
in Dioscorides. 

t These are the Agrostemma flos Jovis ; Anthyllis barba 
Jovis ; Campanula speculum ; and Adiantum capillus Veneris. 



358 

plants have undergone, owing to ignorance and 
carelessness. Aiog xuapLog has been corrupted 
into bog xua[xog, or Hyos-cijamus ; thus substi- 
tuting a hog for Jupiter. Sanguis Mercurii was 
also called sanguis mustelce, or weasel's blood :* 
now, the curious reader will inquire, what had 
Mercurius to do with mustela f The answer is 
easy : — both names of the plant are from the 
Teutonic Hermin-blut ; the first part of which 
offers the ambiguous meaning, Mercury r , or an 
ermine (in old French hermine), mustela. 

to Droop. 
To droop is to drop the head. This simple 
etymology must have escaped the notice of those 
who have sought to derive the word from the 
Greek verb psweiv. 

Asparagus. 

Asparagus, in Greek K(nrapayog, has nothing 
to do with a<r$>apayo$ 9 the windpipe, though the 
two w T ords resemble so nearly (and in the Attic 
dialect are the same). 

A(nrapayog means not only the plant commonly 
so called, but also, according to Passow, any 



* See Tragus, p. 211, 



359 

small branches of other plants having the same 
general appearance. 

Branches were used by the ancients for sprin- 
kling liquids in holy lustrations. The Hebrews 
used bunches of hyssop for that purpose, dipped 
in water or in blood. 

In French Asperges is a holy- water-sprinkler, 
from the Latin aspergere, to sprinkle, and there 
can be little doubt that Asparagus is the same 
word. It was then a Latin and not a Greek 
word, and it originally meant any branch em- 
ployed for holy aspersions ; for which the aspa- 
ragus in particular is very well suited from the 
great number of its slender, waving, and deli- 
cate branchlets. 

Succory. Scorzonera. 
Succory is the Latin Cichorium. 

me pascunt olivse, 

Me cichorea, levesque malvse. 

Hor. 

Hence the diminutive Cichoriola — Schoriola — 
Scariola ; the Lactuca Scariola of Linnaeus, 
meaning " little Succory." 

Again : from Cichorion (or Schorion) we have 



360 

the diminutive Schorionella,* — since corrupted 
into Scorzonetta, or Scorzonera. 

Scorzonera is a culinary herb, with milky juice, 
having yellow composite flowers, and of a nature 
very analogous to the succories and lettuces : 
hence I think the above is its true etymology. 

It is generally however derived from Scorza 
nera (black bark). This would be a good name 
for a tree, but how does it apply to the Scor- 
zonera, which is a small green herb grown in 
kitchen-gardens ? 

Viburnum. Vine. Woodbine. Hopbine. Bryony. 

Verum haec tantum alias inter caput extulit urbes, 
Quantum lenta solent inter viburna cupressi. 

Virg. 

Perhaps the same with Viorna (a species of 
clematis) ; for this would give as great a contrast 
as possible with the erect and towering cypress. 

Viburnum and Viorna have been usually derived 
from Via, a way or journey : hence the viorna 
or clematis tribe are popularly named il traveller s 
joy" and hence, also, the wayfaring tree (which 



* As from the Spanish casca we have cascara and cascarilla 
bark. 



361 

is quite of a different nature) has been translated 
into Latin, viburnum.* 

But this etymology of Viburnum is erroneous ; 
the word really comes from mere, to twine, or 
bind, or interlace. This is the nature of the 
viorna, and of the viticella (another clematis : 
literally, wild vine, or little vine). Vitis, a Vine, 
is derived also from mere ; indeed, all plants that 
trail over hedges, or twist round stakes, are 
called Vines or Bines, from the verb bind or 
wind (closely connected with the Latin viere). 

As, for instance, the woodbine (convolvulus) ; 
the hop-bine (generally called simply bine by the 
farmers), and the English wild vine (Bryoniaf 
dioica). 

It is stated on good authority (Hooker's Journal 
of Botany), that in ancient works of art the fruit 
of the vine is often represented, but never its 
flowers ; because these were too insignificant : 
but that the flowers of the Clematis cirrliosa were 
substituted for them. This proves that the an- 



* It is the Viburnum Lantana of Linnaeus. 

f Bryonia is also found written Bionias. " Bionias alligat 
alnos." Hence, I think it is nothing but the northern word, a 
Bine, corrupted into bryne or bryon. The Latins, indeed, reck- 
oned it a species of Vine (the vitis alba). 

3 A 



362 

cients considered the Clematis to be a kind of 

Vine. 

Ardour. 

From the Latin Ardor, 

It is not at all surprising to find that the 
Latin ardere, to burn, and the Italian ardire, to 
dare, have mutually influenced each other (at least, 
in modern usage and writing), since the two 
ideas are so analogous and suitable to each other, 
that the mind, in speaking, unconsciously connects 
them. 

" The troops rushed forward with the utmost 
ardour? 

" An ardent temper " — " hot and fiery youth." 

Juvenum manus emicat ardens. — ( Virg.) 

" With all the audacity of youth " — " ardi- 
mento." 

" Burning courage " — " ardent valour," &c. &c. 

But since some may possibly think that ardire 
in Italian is derived from ardere in Latin, it may 
be well to observe that it comes from a different 
root: for the Italian ardire often means cool and 
deliberate determination (the Latin audere), with- 
out any notion of hot or fiery courage (the Latin 
ardere). Example : " ebbe Y ardire di prendere 
il veleno " — had the resolution — had the heart — 
to swallow poison. 



363 

Hard. 

In tracing the affinities of this word through 
the other European languages, it seems impossible 
to deny that it is more or less connected with 
the Latin Arduus : thus, " a hard matter" is " a 
difficult matter ;" and " rebus in arduis " are 
" difficidties." If we say, " the Hebrew language 
is hard to learn," we also say " it is an arduous 
study." 

I think that the Latins themselves tacitly 
acknowledge this analogy, for at one time they 
say : " rebus in arduis :" at another — 

labor omnia vincit 

Improbus, et duris urgens in rebus egestas. 

Audacious. 

Lat. Audaw, from Audere, to dare. 

As the learned have not made out the origin 
of the verb Audere, I will observe, that it agrees 
in a curious manner with the Italian verb Ardire, 
to dare. In fact, it appears to be the same 
word. 

The Italian ardire is the old French hardir ; 
and similarly ardito is hardi (bold, courageous) ; 
and ardimento is hardiesse (temerite, audace). 

Now, the French hardi, hardiesse, s'enhardir, 
&c. come from an old European word Hard or 



364 

Kard, meaning the Heart, Kap&a ; and they are 
analogous to courage, courageuw, encourager, &c. 
(see page 44 of this volume). 

In a great number of words, where the Italian 
and Latin forms slightly differ, the Italian is the 
original. This only means, however, that the 
Latin spoken in the provinces was sometimes 
purer than that spoken at Rome. 

Syncope. 

Syncope, in Medicine, is a Swoon, a fainting 
fit. 

But why this Greek word should have that 
peculiar meaning is not very evident, and is a 
subject well worthy the attention of the etymo- 
logist. 

In the article " Apoplexy " (page 179), I have 
shewn the true meaning of that remarkable word 
to be Coup de Soleil, as it has always been trans- 
lated in the French language (doubtless from an 
early tradition of its force and meaning). That 
article I would wish the Reader to peruse before 
he reads the present one, else the conjectures I 
shall have to offer respecting the origin of the 
term Syncope will appear to him, no doubt, 
somewhat forced and improbable. But supposing 
him not to dissent from the conclusions of the 



365 

former article, I will then proceed to observe 
that, according to the testimony of medical 
writers, Syncope has often the appearance of 
Apoplexy, so as to be mistaken for it : — 

" When fatal syncope occurs in the street, the 
true nature of the attack is frequently mistaken, 
so alarming an incident being referred to some 
violent cause, as the rupture of a blood-vessel." 
— (Searle on the Tonic System, p. 127.) 

The same author says, that death in such cases 
is more sudden than in apoplexy. 

Of course, people in general cannot be ex- 
pected to distinguish such cases from apoplexy: 
they will give them the same name. Accordingly 
our author says: "almost all cases of sudden 
death are referred to apoplexy :" i. e. by careless 
observers, or by the mass of mankind. 

By what name, then, should we expect such 
a case of sudden death to be popularly desig- 
nated ? Coup de Soleil would be a very likely 
phrase, in hot weather ; but if the weather is 
cold, and the Sun is evidently not to blame, then 
it is often called in France, a Coup de Sang — " the 
attack being erroneously viewed as a severe form 
of determination of blood to the head."* Whe- 

* Searle, p. 121. 



366 

ther erroneous or not, our present concern is 
only with the popular notions which may have 
influenced the choice of the name. Now in Old 
Norman French, or in one of the early Frankish 
dialects, I take it that Coup de Sang would have 
been written Sang-coup, and I beg to ask, whether 
it is not possible that this word may have been 
adopted by foreigners, who not having an idea of 
its meaning or origin, conceived it to be a Greek 
word, and referred it to the word of that lan- 
guage to which it was nearest in sound, namely 
o-uyxoxTj, although in sense they were not very 
similar. I mean, so far as regards the first 
syllable, the preposition %uv ; for the second 
part K.07T7) (from xo7ttsiv* to strike) is identical 
in origin with the French Coup, a blow. 

Supposing, then, no doubt to exist as to the 
meaning of the second syllable, I would by no 
means insist that the first syllable must have had 
a reference to Sang, or blood: it may have had 
a different meaning, as we shall see. 

But first let me quote another passage from 
Searle's work (page 120). 



* kotttelv, to Strike, is a very different word from kottteiv, to 
Cut, although grammarians carelessly confuse them. 

K07rr£ wai Ovpav — boy, knock at the door \—-Aristoph. 



367 

" Andral, in describing the signs of the coup 
de sang, well describes the symptoms of syncope 
in the following words : ' The patient suddenly 
falls to the ground, deprived at once of intel- 
ligence, motion, and sensation.' " 

Such an occurrence being generally viewed as 
a case of apoplexy (as has been before mentioned), 
may it not have been called a Coup de Soleilf 
or, in the early Frankish dialects, a Sun-coup? 
There is not the least philological objection to 
the use of the Teutonic form Sun in conjunction 
with the word Coup; for the latter is also from 
a Teutonic root.* 

Some one will say, that I have proposed two 
conjectures, which therefore neutralize each other, 
since they cannot be both true. There is, how- 
ever, no reason why they should not both be 
admitted. For let us suppose that the ancient 
form of the word was Coup de Sonn (from the 
German Sonne). Soon this word became obsolete 
in French : the phrase seemed to have no 
meaning: and, therefore, as generally happened 
in such cases, got changed into one that had a 
meaning — Coup de Sang. Not that we at all 
deny the existence of the word (ruyxo7rrj. It is a 

* Coup, Teutonice a Cuff, that is, a blow. 



368 

genuine Greek word, but what does it mean ? 
In one of its meanings it is a term of grammar, 
signifying that a word is shortened by the omission 
of a syllable — hence it is a kind of contraction. 
This sense of o-i>yxo7T7j evidently will not help 
us.* 

Now the Greeks had at their command all 
the stores of a copious language ; they might 
have found many terms which would have ex- 
pressed vividly the idea of fainting and sudden 
death ; why should they invent so very unmeaning 
a term as Syncope f 

But if they did not invent it: — if, in fact, it 
was a foreign term, which they carelessly adopted, 
then all is easily and naturally explained ; and 
we may draw the inference that Sun-coup must 



* In order to shew how little natural connection the verb 
(TvyKOirruv has with the notion of fainting and sudden death, I 
will annex the meanings which it seems to have in good writers, 
according to Passow and other Lexicographers. (1.) To cut 
short. (2.) To knock to pieces, as a storm does the works of 
men. (3.) To shake violently, as a rough-trotting horse does 
his rider. (4.) To fatigue greatly. (5.) To ill-use or plague a 
person. (6.) To cut up. (7.) To wound. All these senses 
imply great external violence visibly inflicted by some one : — none 
of them are at all suited to express sudden death without any 
apparent cause. 



369 

have been the old Teutonic equivalent of the 
archaic Greek A:rXo-7rX7j £/<,-. 

Moreover, the etyms I have given of Syncope 
and Apoplexy mutually support each other ; since 
both convey the meaning of being struck down 
suddenly by the offended Deity — which, in fact, 
was the popular belief. They could not account 
otherwise for such an awful occurrence, than by 
the personal intervention of the divine power. 

Cicely. 

Sweet Cicely. A kitchen herb : one of the 
umbelliferous tribe of plants. 

Thomson supposes it to be a diminutive of 
Cicuta, hemlock : but surely this is quite erro- 
neous. Johnson does not offer any conjecture. 

I wonder they did not see that Cicely is the 
2s<t£?j, Seseli of the Greeks ; a well-known name 
for a genus of umbelliferce. 

Arrow. 
[Addition to the article, p. 325.] 
I have said elsewhere that the Arum plant 
(Apov in Greek, A rod in Saxon) was probably so 
named from its arrow-shaped leaves. And this 
idea has been retained in the English term for 
this and similar plants, viz. Arrow-root. 

3 B 



370 

Now, if we suppose that an arrow was anciently 
called arond, we obtain, by omitting (as fre- 
quently happens) one of the two final consonants, 
either aron or arod, the names of the plant in 
Greek and Saxon. 

But if this conjecture is well founded, viz. that 
arond meant an arrow, there can hardly be a 
doubt that the Latin arundo (an arrow) is the 
same word. 

Celts and Goths. 

I think the ancient state of Europe will never 
be properly understood, until it is admitted that 
the Celts and Goths were essentially the same 
race. They were divided into many nations, 
spread over almost the whole of central and north- 
ern Europe ; and their extreme tribes had not 
kept up any communication with each other; it 
is, therefore, not at all surprising that their 
dialects should have diverged considerably in the 
lapse of ages, amid the prevalence of much 
ignorance and barbarism. 

The tribes of the Galli inhabited not only 
Gaul (or modern France) but also North Italy 
(or Gallia Cisalpina), and great part of Britain, 
the western part of which is named from them 
pays de Galles (now Wales. Wallia being the 
same as Gallia). 



371 

And the inhabitants of the northern part (the 
Highlands of Scotland) are still called the Gael, 
and their language the Gaelic, or Gallic. 

On the other hand, the Galli inhabited the 
central parts of Asia Minor, speaking nearly the 
same language with their brethren of European 
Gaul, of which we have many proofs. Their 
tribes also had the same names, which were 
very peculiar ones, such as Tectosages and Tolis- 
toboii. They were then evidently fractions of 
the same people. 

That these Asiatics must have differed consi- 
derably from the Scotch Highlanders, even in 
old times, two thousand years ago, and that the 
Gcelic language was spoken very differently in 
the two localities, who can doubt ? What 
wonder, then, if now the chasm is a wide one 
between the remaining dialects of the Celtic ? 

The Welsh now call themselves the Cymry, 
whence Cambria takes its name. These Cymry 
or Cimbri (for it is the same name) had bloody 
wars with the Romans. At an earlier period, 
viz. in the year of the City 365, the Gaulish 
tribes, led by their Br ens (or Prince), took Rome, 
and destroyed it. They retired from the South, 
but kept possession of Northern Italy, calling it 



372 

Welsh-land, which name it has retained to the 
present day.* 

But long before this time, at the very dawn 
of history, the Cymry (then called the Cimmerii) 
had attacked and ravaged Asia Minor. Nor did 
they ever relinquish their conquests entirely, for 
thenceforth we always find some Gallic nations 
established in that part of the world. At length 
it was termed from them Galatia or Gallo- 
GrcEcia. 

When to this we add, that the same races 
peopled the Cimbric Chersonese (or Denmark), 
we shall have an idea of the vast spread of the 
Cymry and their Welsh language in ancient 
times. 

Now to say a word about the Goths. They 
were the same as the Getce ;f and there seems 
reason to believe that Catti was another variation 
of the name, and perhaps also the Jutes of 
Jutland. 



* The Germans call Italy Welschland. It is only in modern 
times that they have begun to say Italien, as being more elegant. 

t The change of sound in the vowel is natural enough in 
German. Whoever will carefully pronounce the name of the 
poet Gotlie or Goethe, will understand this. 



373 

No one denies that Keltce is the same name 
with Galatce, for they are used by ancient writers 
indifferently, even in the same passage. And 
the Galatoe are otherwise called Galli. 

But what I think has not been observed or 
brought forward as yet, is the fact, that Galatce 
and Goti may be the same word, according to the 
usual rules of etymology, and without over- 
straining them in the least, as may be shewn 
in the following manner. 

Nothing is more frequent in the French lan- 
guage than a change of the syllables Al or El 
into Au or Eau (sounding as in Italian or 
English). 

Examples. — Bel, beau : pel, peau (pellis) : veal, 
veau : a seal, un sceau : Lat. falsus, faux : falx, 
un faux : mala, les maux : and from sal, sau- 
poudrer, fyc. Sfc. 

The examples in which the letter T follows 
are most to our purpose : ex. gr. Altar, autel : 
alter, autre : Ital. belta, beaute : altus, haut 

This rule is so general in the French language, 
that it seems to belong to the very nature of 
their pronunciation. 

Now let us treat according to this same analogy 
the name of the Keltic nation. 

And since the Italian belta becomes beaute, 



374 

similarly the Kelti become the Kauti or Koti, 

that is to sav the Goti. 

ti 

And the Galatica or Galtica regio becomes the 
Gautica or Gotica, or GotJiica regio. 

Gothland, 

The ancients appear to have delighted amaz- 
ingly in verbal allusions, which to our modern 
taste seem somewhat insipid ; but it must be 
recollected, that when they were first thought of 
they had all the charm of novelty. 

Gothland is now only part of Sweden, but 
formerly it included all Denmark. 

" Nu er kaullut Danmaurk : en tha var kallat 
Gotland "* — " now called Denmark, but then 
called Gotland." 

Gotland signified the land of the Goths, But 
it had another meaning also. A delightful double 
entendre was concealed in it. It meant also " the 
land of the Gods " — and the poets would not 
fail to profit by the idea when once started. 

In Pindar's days, and earlier, a belief prevailed, 
that the extreme north of the world was inhabited 
by a perfectly happy and god-like race of men 

* See an old story published by Thorlacius in his Ant. Bor. 
Specimen quintum. Copenhagen, 1794, p. 14. 



375 

— the Hyperboreans, Some considered the real 
dwelling-place of the gods to be at the North 
pole — omne ignotum pro magnifico. 

Nay more, I apprehend that the Goths them- 
selves understood their own name to mean divine, 
that is to say, divinely-descended, children of the 
gods, &c. &c. ; a fond imagination, no doubt, yet 
quite capable of influencing early poetry. And, 
accordingly, the very chief of the gods, Odin, 
was held by them to be the first progenitor of 
the Gothic race : from whom their actual kings 
were descended. 

Odin or Woden was accounted by the Romans 
to be their Mercurius, whence Wednesday or 
Woden's day, is in the Latin dies Mercurii, or 
Merer edi. By the Germans he was held to be 
the greatest of all the gods : — " Deorum maxime 
Mercurium colunt "— -says Tacitus. And so in 
great part of Asia, at the present day, Buddha 
is the chief object of worship, and the " day of 
Buddha" is our " Wednesday." 

Those who have degraded Odin to the rank of 
a mere mortal, appear to have forgotten that one 
or more of the Gothic kings may very probably 
have assumed that name, as a great title of 
honour : just as one of the Ptolemies called 



376 

himself Nsog Awv<rog, or young Bacchus : and 
the Roman Caesar did not scruple to call himself 
Divus, a divinity. 

to Cleave, a Cliff, a Scar. 

The verb to Cleave is connected with the old 
word Gleyve, a sword : Fr. Glaive : Gaelic Clay 
(in Clay-more). 

A Cliff is from to cleave, and only indirectly 
connected with the Latin clivus. So Saturn 
comes from the root secure, to cleave or cut; 
and rupes from rumpere. 

Scar, or Skar (from the Saxon seer an, to shear 
or cut asunder) is a well-known provincial 
English word for a rock, whence Scarborough, 
Skerryvore lighthouse (i. e. the great rock), &c. 
are derived. 

The word Scar, a rock, is closely connected 
with escarpment, and the French rocher escarpe, 
and the adjective sharp, which comes from the 
old verb to share or shear, that is, to cut (Saxon 
seer an). 

The Normans once ruled over Sicily, and a 
curious instance of the Norse language still re- 
maining in that island, is the name of Cape 
Scaranos, on the South coast; identical with that 



377 

of Scar-nose, on the coast of Banff in Scotland. 
The word means " rocky promontory." Even in 
Russian a Cape is called Nos. 

to Share, to Shear, a Shire. 

To Share was anciently to cut : whence a 
plough-share* 

When any thing was cut into pieces for dis- 
tribution, each man took his share, that is, his 
slice or portion. 

The following words are also derived from 
the same root. 

A pair of Shears. 

A Shire or County, being the section or division 
of the land. 

A Shred or Shard; a pot-shard or pot-sherd, 
being a piece cut or broken off. 

Ash tree. 
Connected with the Latin Hasta, a spear. 
Spear handles were made of Ash wood. jEsc in 
Anglo-Sax. means a spear\ as well as an ash-tree : 

* A ploughshare was also called, Teutonice, a Cutter : — whence 
(pace virorum doctorurri) the Latin Culter and its diminutive 
cultellus, a knife (in French couteau) are derived. 

f Hence War was called Msc-iplega, i.e. the play of lances. 
JEsc sometimes meant a Man or a Chief: for which a mythological 

3 c 



378 

so does frene in old French. " Brandir le 
frene" — to brandish the spear.* Hence the old 
German franea, a spear, which the Latins incor- 
rectly spelt framea, being probably deceived by 
the pronunciation of the natives. Tacitus says : 
" hastas, vel ipsorum vocabulo frameas, gerunt." 

Ostend. 

At first sight, the name of this city appears to 
mean the east end (i. e. of the great canal which 
goes from thence to Bruges and Ghent). 

But since it is evidently the west end, we may 
suppose Ost to represent the French Ouest.f 

It is certainly inconvenient that three points 
of the compass should have names in the chief 
European languages so resembling each other, 
as Ost, Ouest, and Aust.\ The name of modern 
Austria, for example, might be supposed to refer 
to the last of the three : but it certainly does 
not. 



reason is given by Bosworth, I think without necessity, since a 
Lance meant a Knight in old English also. 

* Roquefort's Diet, of the Romance language, 
f West has become Ush in the name of Ushant : Fr. Ouessant. 
\ Viz. — Auster, the South : whence adj. Australis. 
Ost, in German : Est in French : the East. 
Quest, the West. 



379 

The opposite ideas of up and down are ex- 
pressed in the French language by the very 
resembling words dessus and dessous : which is 
another example of the same kind of defect. 

Names of Places in England. 

Cold Harbour. — It has been suggested in the 
Proceedings of the Philological Society, on the 
authority of a passage in Pepys, that this name 
signified a place where coals were deposited. It 
may be conceded that such was the meaning in 
the instance referred to, and perhaps in some 
others : but was it the custom to have depots of 
coal (that is, charcoal) all over the kingdom in 
ancient times ? 

Cold Harbour means " shelter from the cold" 
a good name enough for a small inn or public- 
house in a bleak and solitary situation. 

Or, more literally, it meant " the Cold Inn" 
Not an inviting name, certainly : but in old times 
people were not so particular, when journeys 
were always sure to be full of hardships. 

Nor are inns always to be judged of by their 
titles, since one of the best inns in Savoy is 
named Mal-taverne. 

But if any one doubts, notwithstanding, our 
interpretation of " the Cold Inn" we can produce 



380 

good proof that such is the meaning. For the 
name of Gold Harbour is found in Germany as 
well as in England. The name in German is 
Kalten Herberg ; the meaning of which is evi- 
dently Cold Harbour* Such an inn is encoun- 
tered by the traveller on the road from Basle to 
Freiburg, &c. &c. 



The Tuscar Rock. — The name of this rock 

has been supposed to prove a visit of the 

ancient Tuscans to our shores. I am sorry to 

disturb so brilliant an idea ; but I must observe 

that Scar, meaning a rock, is a well-known 

British word (see page 376), and that Tuscar 

probably only meant the Black Rock, in Celtic 

Du-scar. In this word the adjective precedes 

the substantive, as in the following examples : 

Dub-linn, the black lake : Glas-linn, the blue 

lake.f 

Forgery. 

A smith's forge, and the forging of useful tools 



* Herberg (French Auberge) is the English Harbour : whence 
we say " to harbour a person " (receive him : give him lodging, 
entertainment, &c.) — " to harbour a criminal " (shelter him ; hide 
him, &c.) — " to harbour a thought " (entertain it). 

t Pont-aber-glas-Unn in North Wales. 



381 

or warlike weapons, bears so little resemblance 
to the crime of Forgery, that I cannot believe 
the one term ever sprung from the other. 

Yet, on referring to Johnson, &c. I find no 
other origin suggested. ; 

The defectiveness of the analogy is indeed 
manifest. The Articles which the smith forges 
are substantial and genuine : whilst the essential 
part of Forgery is its falseness. And yet this 
notion of falseness seems altogether wanting in 
the original metaphor. 

Besides, this figure of speech, as applied to 
paper-writings, is an extremely harsh one : more 
so than would be allowable even in Pindaric 
poetry. Can any thing be less like the pro- 
ductions of the smith's forge than bank-notes and 
bills of exchange? But letting alone this objec- 
tion, it is sufficient, surely, to consider the two 
phrases " a man makes a Will " and " a man 
forges a Will," to see that they could not have 
arisen from the same original idea. 



Forgery is derived, as I think, from the old 
French words forjurer and forjur* which imply 

* Roquefort's Romance Dictionary. 



382 

" falsehood in a court of justice," or " falsehood 
in legal matters." 

The man who swore to the truth of a legal 
deed or instrument, knowing it to be false, was 
a forjur. The step from hence to the modern 
notion of a forger is extremely easy. 



The word perjury comes from the same root, 
which has divided itself into two forms to express 
two branches of the same original notion, as fre- 
quently happened.* 

Purblind. 

To denote the greatness of any quality, the 

Latin language prefixes Per, ex. gr. per-amplus 9 

per-gratus. The Cornish language prefixes Pu?* 9 

as pur-wyre y very true : and this even in words 

derived from the English. I therefore think 

that Pur-blind may have been one of these 

Cornish expressions which has been adopted by 

us. 

August. 

In addition to what has been said before, to 



* Thus, for instance, Pint and Pound are the same word dif- 
ferently pronounced : the first form of the word being by custom 
appropriated to liquids, the other to solids. 



383 

shew that Angst, Aust, and Host meant Harvest- 
time or Reaping-time, before the days of Augustus 
Caesar, we may quote, not only the Danish and 
Breton, but also the Dutch language, in which 
we find Oegst or Oogst, the harvest : oogsten, to 
reap; oogster, a reaper. 

Is the time of Harvest, then, so decidedly in 
August, that many nations should agree to call 
"harvest" simply "August?" 

Certainly not : for the German harvest-month 

or herbst-monat is September. And the Danish 

host-moaned is September likewise. Besides, " een 

vroege oogst " means an early harvest. An early 

August could not with propriety be said. And 

druiven-oogst is the grape-harvest or vintage, and 

not the grape-August; being indeed most usually 

in October. 

Round of Beef 

However appropriate this term may be, it was 
perhaps at first suggested by the circumstance 
of Bund signifying beef in the Dutch language. 
In German Mind is an ox or beeve ; Holl. Mund, 
whence rund-vleesch. 

to Maze. 

To Maze or Rase a building, that is, destroy it 
utterly, is a verb connected with two different 
origins: viz. first, with the French raser, Lat. 



384 

radere, to erase or obliterate : and secondly, the 
Spanish rdiz, a root, bottom, or foundation. " De 
raiz " — from the root — entirely. 

" To raze a thing " being to root it out, destroy 
it from the foundations. 

It is curious that "to raise a building" has 
the same sound with a sense exactly contrary. 

Ditty. 

Ditty; from the Teutonic dichte, or ge-dicht, 
a song : dichter, a poet : Old French dit 9 a tale, 
a lay : ex. gr. " le dit du povre chevalier." 

to Endow: Indue. 

Some further remarks may be made on these 
words. The French douer exhibits the verb to 
endoio or indue in its simplest form : ex. gr. 
" doue de toutes les vertus." 

In Latin Dos is a dowry, but in Holland Dos 
is a vest or garment, shewing the close analogy 
between the gift and the investiture of land or 
property. The French endosser, to put on a 
dress, and the Ital. addossare, are partly derived 
from dos (the back),* and partly from the old 



* The notion of dorsum, the back, is not essential to the 
word addosso : — ex. gr. " non ho danari addosso ;" — I have no 
money about me. 



385 

word dossen, to put on clothes, which verb is 
still found in the Dutch language. 

Strict. 

Some additional remarks* may be made on 
the origin of this word, and of its various mean- 
ings in Latin. 

The verb trahere had a forcible form strahere, 
which has not been properly attended to by 
philologists. Its participle was str actus, meaning 
"pulled violently." And the participle of stringer e 
was strictus, meaning " bound tightly." 

These participles, stractus and strictus, being 
similar in sound (indeed almost identical), and 
presenting also a great analogy of meaning, soon 
became confused together, and were used and 
treated as being the same word. 

The one meant properly "pulled forcibly" as 
by a strained or tightened rope. 

The other meant " bound forcibly" also by a 
tightened rope. 

These meanings were too near together for 
the words to continue separate, especially in early 
times, when languages were for the most part 
unwritten. 



* See page 156. 
3 D 



386 

These things being premised, it is perfectly 
easy to understand now, why a drawn sword 
is called in Latin " ensis strictus " — because it 
was " e vagina stractus :" — and why leaves pulled 
off from trees were " folia stricta " — because they 
were " ex arboribus stracta" or (adding the pre- 
position, though unnecessary) distracta ; abstracta. 

Strahere, to draw, is also the root of Stria, a 
line drawn upon paper or upon any other surface. 
In French, une strie ; Old German strih : Germ, 
ein strich ; Anglice a stroke of the pen. 

Portrait 

In a recent lawsuit* concerning some pictures 
and portraits bequeathed by a will, the Vice- 
Chancellor rested his judgment on the true 
meaning of the word "Portrait? as deduced from 
its etymology. An appeal was made to the 
Chancellor, and a different etymology brought 
forward as the true one. 

A few observations may therefore be made 
upon this word. 

It is the Old English pourtrait: Old French 
pourtraict: Ital. ritratto. 



* Globe, November 18, 1844. 



387 

The art of Drawing is of course from the verb 
to draw. 

To draw is the Latin trahere ; Old French 
traire; Ital. trarre. 

Hence is formed the substantive tractus ; in 
French trait (formerly traict), a draught: And 
hence — 

" To draw a draught"* (design a picture), and 
" a Draughtsman" (artist, painter). 

To pourtray is to delineate (literally, draw 
lines). 

The French word traits answers to the English 
lines or lineaments, Ex. gr. — 

" II a de beaux traits." 

Long is it since I saw him, 

But time has nothing blurred those lines of favour 

Which he then wore. 

Shaksp. 

Which well appeared in his lineaments, 
Being nothing like the noble duke, my father. 

Shaksp. 

When a likeness is drawn extremely resembling, 
it is said in French to be trait pour trait (line for 



* And in several other senses — as horses drawing a loaded 
waggon (a heavy draught) — and in monetary affairs — tirer de 
Targent — traite sur un banquier (draught). 



388 

line). But this does not seem likely to have 
been the origin of the word portrait. 

It will be observed that the difficulty of the 
word is wholly in the first syllable. It is easy 
to suggest the prepositions per or pro, in Latin: 
or pour or par in French, but neither of them 
seems very suitable. Let us try a bold con- 
jecture ! Perhaps the first syllable is the word 
Port, which means " carriage : air : mien : 
manner : bearing : external appearance : demean- 
our." — Johnson. 

Their port was more than human as they stood, 

I took it for a fairy vision. 

Milton. 

Portrait would then mean " delineation of the 
port" — drawing or painting of the air, mien, 
demeanour, carriage. 

Alexanders. Tutsan. 

Tutsan,* from the French Tout-sain, or All- 
heal. Panacea means the same thing in Greek ; 
whence the plant Panax takes its name. 

Alexanders^ I suspect to be a corruption of 
Alle-sana (meaning All-heal in some Franco- 
German dialect). Olus atrum (its other name), 

* Hypericum Androssemum, Linn. 
t Smyrnium Olusatrura, Linn. 



389 

if we make the very common insertion of N 
before T, becomes Olusantrum, and seems to be 
only the same word in another dress. A species 
of Panax (the Opo-panax) is nearly allied to 
Alexanders in its botanical characters (both are 
iimbettiferce). 

Sarsaparilla. 

An herb. We find Salza-pariglia in Old 
Italian (see Florio's Dictionary). 

But salza is, doubtless, a corruption of sanza 
or senza, and the true name was senza pariglia, 
that is to say, sans-pareil, or non-par eil, or peerless. 

For, pariglia means an equal. The virtues of 
this herb must therefore have been considerable. 

[This etymology appears to be quite new, and 
yet nothing can be simpler. The word is Italian, 
but hitherto it has been mistaken for a Spanish 
word, and derived from zarza, a bramble.] 

Henbane. 

The natural order of Solanece contains many 
plants of poisonous qualities : some of which are 
said to produce an excitement approaching to 
madness. Mandrakes, Love-apples, &c, have 
long been celebrated in histories, both true and 
fabulous, and the ancients, who did not dis- 
tinguish plants with any accuracy, have some- 



390 

times applied to one kind what belonged to 
another, of a very different genus, but of qualities 
somewhat similar. 

It appears from what is said by Tragus and 
others that the Romans called one kind of love- 
apples by the name of Mala insana (literally, mad- 
apples), and that the Germans corrupted the name 
mala insana into melanzahn, thus making one word 
of it. In which corruption I observe, as a casual 
circumstance, that the last syllable has become 
Zahn, which signifies a tooth in German. Now, I 
have already stated in page 278, that one of the 
Old German names for Henbane was Rossen-zahn, 
literally, Horses-teeth. But since the plant has 
no resemblance in the world to Horses' teeth, it 
remains to inquire what may be the origin of 
such an appellation ? Here a conjecture readily 
presents itself: namely, that Rossen-zahn is a 
corruption of Ross-insan, that is to say, " equina 
insania :" because if this name is literally trans- 
lated into Greek, we obtain Hippomanes : that 
celebrated, but semi-fabulous poison. 

Hippomanes quod ssepe malse legere novercse 
Miscueruntque herbas, et non innoxia verba. 

Virg. 

Facciolati explains it "herba qua comesa equae 
incipiunt furere " — the thorn apple. 



391 

Now the thorn apple {Datura of Linnaeus) is a 
plant of the same botanical order (of Solanece) : 
and it is 'said to be the plant chiefly used by 
the poisoners of India to destroy their victims 
even at the present day ! 

Causeway. 
Causeway : in Old English Causey : F. la 
Chaussee. The last syllable of the word, viz. 
way, is perfectly appropriate : but is it genuine f 
Perhaps it is only an attempt to improve the 
spelling of the word causey. For, the French 
chaussee indicates causey to have been the original 
term in English. 

Caltrops. 

Johnson says : " an instrument made with 
three spikes, &c. &c to wound horses' feet." 

But the notion of its having only three spikes 
appears to have arisen from a misconception of 
the meaning of the first syllable of the Latin 
name Tribulus. 

Caltrops, in Old Italian Calcatrippa. Lat. Cal- 
citrapa. 

Centaur ea Calcitrapa, the well-known Star- 
thistle, armed with formidable spines, is named 
from its resemblance to this instrument. So also 



392 

the plant called Water Caltrops, or Trapa natans: 
and so also is the Tribulus terrestris of botanists. 

The French name is Chausse-trape, which shews 
the affinity between the Latin calx, calcis, and 
the French chausse. 

As to the etym of caltrops or calcitrapa, perhaps 
it is from calcar (a spur), on account of the 
spines. Or perhaps it means foot-trap, since it is 
an invention to wound the feet of the enemies' 
cavalry. Or, since the old Italian name is Calca- 
trippa, perhaps this contains the notion of tripping 
up the heels. 

It may be observed that final ER in Northern 
words often answers to final A in Southern ones : 
ex. gr. Dagger, Span. Daga. Upon this principle 
calcatrippa may mean either the foot-tripper or 
the foot-trapper. 

Cockatrice. 

Johnson says : " from cock and Anglo-Sax. 
atter, a serpent — meaning a serpent supposed to 
rise from a cock's egg." 

Sir T. Browne also reckons among " vulgar 
errours," the belief " that a basilisk proceeds from 
a cock's egg hatched under a serpent."* He 



* Quoted in Brand, iii. p. 202. 



393 

goes on to say: "the Basilisk is generally de- 
scribed with legs, wings, a serpentine and winding 
tail, and a crest or comb somewhat like a cock." 

Thence, perhaps, named the cockatrice : unless, 
indeed, the name suggested the fable (but the 
Basilisk of the Greeks had also a crest or royal 
crown: therefore the fable is, at any rate, very 
ancient). 

I should not be much surprised, if the last 
part of the name of the cockatrice, viz. atris, 
were a corruption of acris. 

The Acris of the Apocalypse (chapter 9) was 
a creature altogether symbolical and poetical : 
agreeably to the genius of Eastern poetry. 

These mystic creatures were a sort of dragons 
(since they issued from the bottomless pit). They 
had wings, and crowns of gold upon their heads — 
and their mission was " to hurt men" 

And was not the poetical Basilisk a very 
similar creation of the fancy? 



It was the Eye of the Cockatrice or Basilisk 
that was so famous and fatal — if he saw you first, 
before you saw him. 

Now, in the German language Ey signifies an 
Egg : and reversely, in the older English and 
some of the Anglo-Saxon dialects, Eg or Egg 

3 E 



394 

signifies an Eye. So that the two words must 
have been liable to great confusion ; and thence 
perhaps arose the superstitious opinion concerning 
the egg from whence the Cockatrice was hatched, 
and which became a cock's egg in the vulgar 
superstition, because that notion best corresponded 
with the name. 



A cockatrice is the old French Coquatris, Ital. 
Calcatrice, which (like the English Cockatrice) 
is used metaphorically in speaking of cruel and 
wicked persons. 

If the Italian calcatrice is a genuine word 
(which may be accounted rather doubtful), it 
seems to be the Latin calcatrix, a feminine form 
derived from calcare and calx, the heel. It may 
possibly mean a serpent which stings us in the heel 
— inflicting a painful wound, when trod upon, 
like the spiked weapon called Calcitrapa or Cal- 
trops (see the last article). For this kind of 
serpent was accounted very venomous ; see Pro- 
verbs, cap. 23 (old translation) — " at last it 
sting eth like a cockatrice." 

to Strip. 

To Strip, Germ. Streifen. 

For instance, streifen signifies (1) to strip the 



395 

skin off. (2). The same in a slighter degree ; to 
graze the skin, or inflict a wound skin-deep. 
Here it is worthy of observation, that the par- 
ticiple streift and the Latin strictus have been 
very anciently confounded. 

" Qualis setigeram Lucana cuspide frontem 
Strictus aper."* 

i.e. grazed: slightly wounded. 

(3). Streifen means to strip leaves off a tree. 
Here again we find stript and strictus anciently 
confused. " Folia ex arboribus stricta."^ The 
Germans say, Laub, oder Blatter streifen. 

In the old European languages the syllable 
Stri seems to have denoted violence or rapid 
motion, or both combined. Hence these con- 
fusions arose. The verbs " to strike " and " to 
strive" and "to beat with stripes" shew other 
variations of the same primordial root, expressive 
of violence or injury. 

The German verbs streifen and streichen have 
also got mingled together: thus, for instance, the 
phrase "courir ou roder le pays" is indifferently 
translated " herum streifen " or " herum streichen" 



* Statius. f Caesar. 



396 

to Outstrip. 

The etyms of this word mentioned by Johnson 
are bad. 

To Outstrip is the German Aus-streifen, to run 
rapidly, derived from streifen (courir le pays) to 
make a sudden or rapid incursion. 

To express the rapid course of animals, the 
Germans use streichen (see the last article) ex. 
gr. die Vbgel streichen durch die Luft. Der 
Hirsch streicht nach dem Walde. 

to Stretch. 

To Stretch is the German streichen ; as " dies 
Feld streicht bis an den Bach " — this field stretches 
as far as the little stream. 

To stretch away, or to stretch forward, said of 
stags and other swift animals,* is also the German 
streichen (see the two examples at the end of the 
last article). 

" To stretch one's speed to the utmost " is a 
related phrase. But " To stretch a string " is 
rather cognate with Germ, strick, cord or string ; 



* Then stretching forward free and far, 
Sought the wild heath of Uam-Var. 

W. Scott. 






397 

and with the Latin stringere. It is impossible, 
however, to draw the line between such phrases. 
To stretch is also the German strecken. 

to Strike a flag. 

To Strike ones flag, or simply to Strike, comes 
from the German Strecken. 

" Das Gewehr strecken " is " mettre bas les 
armes — se rendre au vainqueur." 

District. 
A District answers to the German Land-strich 
or Land-strecke, properly a stretch of land. Strich 
Landes is a country or region : " einen ganzen 
Strich Landes verwiisten" — to ravage a whole 
district. Strich Weges, a good bit of way. 

Passover. 

The word Passover is one of the most important 
that can become the subject of inquiry : it is 
likewise a word containing a peculiar difficulty, 
which I hope to be able to remove. The diffi- 
culty is one which must have occurred to many 
readers of the Book of Exodus. 

Exodus xii. 26 — " And it shall come to pass, 
when your children shall say unto you, What 
mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It 



398 

is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, who passed 
over the houses of the children of Israel in 
Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians." 

The reason so plainly stated for the name of 
the Passover is taken from the English language. 
Now, Moses did not write in the English lan- 
guage: consequently, how could he have written 
such a passage as the above ? The difficulty is 
considerable — the solution not very obvious — and 
I have known persons of reflection much puzzled 
with it. 

In Hebrew the Passover was called Pascha. 
We find in the Hebrew Lexicons, that the 
paschal sacrifice was offered for the sins of the 
people, in hopes that the Deity would pass over, 
that is, pardon them ; as he passed over, that 
is, spared, or had mercy upon the houses of the 
Israelites in Egypt : the Hebrew word pascha 
meaning prceterire, transire. 

But although the allusion holds good in He- 
brew, yet I think no one will contend that the 
English verb to pass is derived in any way from 
the Hebrew pascha ; and besides, how happens 
it that the English word over is found at the 
end of Passover f And how are we to explain 
such a phrase as "to eat the pass-over ?" 

The fact is, that the oldest Teutonic name for 



399 

this great sacrifice was not the Passover, but the 
Passofer or Pasch-offer, that is to say, the Pascha- 
sacrifice. For the old word for a sacrifice or 
victim was Offer or Offer. I have given many 
examples of it in a former part of this work 
(see the article Christopher, p. 108). For in- 
stance, in Exodus and Leviticus we find " one 
lamb thou shalt offer ; — it shall be eaten the 
same day ye offer it ; — the priest that offereth it 
shall eat it." And in German Offer is a victim. 

A lamb for sacrifice was therefore an opfer 
or offer ; and the paschal lamb was the pasch-offer, 
which has been modernized into passover. The 
truth of this is evident when we consider Exodus, 
chap. 12, " kill the passover." " Ye shall eat it 
with your loins girded." — 2 Chron. 35. " They 
roasted the passover with fire, according to the 
ordinance." — 1 Corinth. " Christ, our passover, 
is sacrificed for us." None of which phrases 
would have the least propriety, unless a passover 
were a living creature : a victim sacrificed, or 
offerred. 

I do not think the English translators of the 
Bible intended a play upon words, but it came so 
naturally that they did not avoid it. Indeed, 
the form pass-over is probably very much older 
than their time. 



400 

to Gasp. 
To Gasp is the same as to Gape, or open the 
mouth. 

In an old English poem a bird is said " to 
gasp, and catch a wasp." 

S is often omitted before P : ex. gr. to rasp, 
Fr. rdper ; spur, eperon ; to spy or espy, epier ; 
asper, dpre. 

Wolf. 

A Wolf, in Swedish Ulf: probably from the 
verb to howl, ululare, fyc. 

Wolf is also connected with the Latin Vulpes, 
although the animals are not the same. This 
confusion arose from the predatory habits of both 
animals and careless use of language. 

In the same way raposa, the name for a fox 
in Spanish, may possibly be the same with 
irpus, the Sabine name for a wolf: the first 
syllable being changed, as in cl^wol^, rapax ; 
hermit, romito, Ital. ; Orlando, Rolando. 

Pier. 

Pier: a mole or jetty thrown into the sea. 
The piers of a bridge are supports constructed 
in the water. 

The origin of this word has been greatly mis- 
taken. It has been supposed to be the French 



401 

pierre, a stone : but to this supposition there are 
two fatal objections. In the first place, the piers 
of bridges in the north of Europe, in ancient 
times, were very generally made of wood, and 
not of stone. In the second place, even if a 
pier were constructed of stone, it would not 
have been called simply " une pierre" a stone. 
The stones of a bridge are one thing : the piers 
of the bridge, quite another. Besides, if that 
etym were true, what an absurdity it would be 
to say : " a bridge with wooden piers :" and yet 
such a phrase is usual enough. Bacon desires 
us to employ elm for piers that are sometimes 
wet and sometimes dry. — (Johnson's Dictionary.) 

But the real origin of the word Pier is widely 
different from this, and has hitherto, I believe, 
been almost unnoticed. 

It meant originally a landing-place on the 
seashore, or on the banks of a river ; and as 
sailors frequently landed from ships in the night- 
time, it was necessary to keep a light burning, 
to guide them to the spot. This light was called 
the Pyr or Pyre, or beacon. The word is 
cognate with 7rup and fire. 

In Danish we find Pyr and also Fyr, " a pier 
or lantern by the shore-side." 

3 F 



402 

Similarly, in Swedish, Fyr, a beacon or light- 
house. 

In England we have " pier-dues ;" so in 
Sweden, ^r-penningar. 

The Pier then was originally the fire or light 
at the end of the jetty : afterward the whole 
landing-place was so called ; and finally, all solid 
structures raised or constructed in the water, 
were called piers. 

to Roam. 

The Latin spatiari, to ramble (Germ, spazieren), 
is related to spatium, space. Hence, perhaps, to 
Roam is from the German Raum, space. The 
Germans say " das Land raumen " — to quit the 
country, that is, to roam abroad. 

Johnson has a curious remark, that the verb 
comes " from the pretences of vagrants, who 
always said they were going to Rome." This 
idea however derives support from the Italian 
romeo, a pilgrim (properly a pilgrim to Rome), 
and romeaggio, a pilgrimage. 

Romeo. Juliet. 

Romeo means " a pilgrim " in Italian, as I 
have already observed. 



403 

But is it not connected with the Latin comic 
name of Dromiof 

Juliet is properly the diminutive of Julia; 
but it has apparently united itself with another 
name Juliet or Joliette, the diminutive of jolie, 
pretty. 

Clever. 

Johnson says this word is "of no certain 
etymology." Some authors think that "a clever 
man " is the German " ein kluger mann." 

This is plausible enough : but Mug signifies 
wise ; sensible ; very prudent ; discreet ; circum- 
spect. It does not contain the notion of active 
cleverness, as when we say, a clever debater; 
such a lawyer made a clever speech ; such 
an author has written a clever book ; " The 
man has a clever pen, it must be owned." — 
{Addison.) 

Perhaps, therefore, the word Clever, when used 
in this sense, comes from the Danish, and means 
" a man who can talk " — or " a ready tongue" 

Danish, klavre, to talk much or freely : Scottice, 
to Claver. Welsh, and the other Celtic tongues, 
Llavar, speech or conversation. 

Clubs. 
A suit of cards. In French called trefle, i. e. 



404 

trefoil or clover : and the cards are marked in 
that shape. 

I therefore agree with Thomson, that the old 
name was not a club, but a clove, i. e. a clover- 
leaf. Indeed, in Swedish both names are the 
same; thus, for instance, the four of clubs is 
called the four of clover — -fyra klbfwer. 

Pool of Commerce. Fish. 

Johnson gives no etym of " a pool" when 
used as a term of cards. 

Thomson derives it from the French poule, a 
hen. But more likely it was called the pool 
because it contains the fish. 

The Fish, or counters at cards, are named 
from the old word Fisc, a treasury, a heap of 
money. 

Speaking of the French word poule, it is curious 
to find (see Cotgrave's Dictionary) that the con- 
stellation Ursa major was formerly called in 
French " la poule et les poulsins " — the hen and 
chickens. Who does not see that the ignoramuses 
of the middle ages have corrupted the Pole star 
into la poule f 

Cornice. Coping stone. 
The Cornice of a building is the Greek 



405 

Kopwvig* pronounced rapidly Kopovig or Kopvig. 
Vowels which were sounded long in poetry, were 
often shortened or omitted in common parlance ; of 
which this word affords an instructive example. 

Coronis or Kopwvig signified in Greek the last 
or finishing stone placed upon a building — -which, 
as it were, crowned the whole work — -to tsT^sutouov 
tt}$ oixobofjirjg e7tiQs(jlo<,. — (Hesych.) In Latin it 
was called coronis and corona. " Usus gypsi in 
coronis gratissimus." — (Pliny. ) 

" Angusta muri corona erat ; non pinnae, &c." 
— (Curt.) 

The Coping stone means the capping stone, 
which caps the wall. 

Stem of a ship. 

Perhaps from the Greek Xrsfxfia, a garland : 
because it was the custom of the ancients to deck 
ships with garlands : " Coronata puppis." — (Ovid.) 

The Stem of a ship is in Danish Stcevn, perhaps 
from the Greek Xrs<pavog, a garland (which is 
from the same root as ^re^ixa). 

And hence I would explain the remarkable 
epithet which Homer uses so often — sv vrjscra-i 

* Thomson has perceived this etymology : others explain it 
less clearly. 



406 

xofHDvio-i 7rovT07ropoi<ri ; probably the ships were 
crowned or ornamented. KopowTj means a crown, 
among other things. 

to Stem. 

To Stem a torrent : to stem the waves, &c. 
Johnson and others do not explain the origin of 
this expression. But it is evidently a metaphor 
from the Stem of a ship, which is the first to 
encounter the waves. 

Lycoperdon. Lycopodium. Euphorbia. Lupine. 

I have before remarked, that in many words 
the Greeks and others confounded Auxog, a wolf, 
with Aeuxog, white. Thus Lycus fluvius, which 
occurs often on the maps, does not mean " Wolf 
river," but " White River :" having really very 
white waters, as modern travellers testify. In the 
present article I will give three more instances 
of the same mistake ; which, at the same time, 
will serve as examples of the monstrous errors 
that have occurred in the nomenclature of plants. 

The white puff-ball, or Lycoperdon, is very 
common in the fields in autumn. It is evident 
that the Greek name should be Leuco-perdon, 
meaning the white puff. 

The Lycopodium is a large kind of moss 



407 

growing on the mountains. It has not the 
smallest resemblance to the foot of a wolf which 
the Greek signifies ; but it is very remarkable for 
producing a great deal of white powder (the pulvis 
lycopodii) which is inflammable, and is used in 
theatres for producing artificial lightning. I 
believe that the name really means " white 
powder " or " white dust," viz. Aeoxo-erwoS/ov — 
easily corrupted into Lycopodium. 

The Euphorbia is called in Swedish Wolfs 
milk. But as this plant is remarkable for the 
abundance of white milk which its stalks and 
leaves contain, I think that in all probability 
Leuco-gala (white milk) has been corrupted into 
Lyco-gala (wolf's milk). 

These instances mutually support each other; 
and to shew how carelessly such names have 
been given to plants, I may add, that the Lupine 
is called in Swedish the wolf-bean* clearly 
shewing that some persons derived the word 
from lupus, as if it meant faba lupina. 

Cardoon. Onopordon. Teasel. 
The Cardoon is a large plant of the thistle 



* War g -bona. 



408 

family. It is the French Cardon (now Chardon) ; 
from the old word Car,* a thistle, Latin Carduus. 



The Onopordon is called in French Chardon 
Wane, (ass's thistle). It was, doubtless, formerly 
called dne-chardon or dne-cardon, in Greek the 
same, viz. Ovo-xofiov, most ridiculously corrupted 
by the ignorant into Ovo7rofiov. 



To Card wool is to comb it with a Cardans 
or Thistle.f 

The plant called Teasel used to be extensively 
cultivated for this purpose : and Teasel is the 
same word with Thistle. 

to Cut. 

Several different roots appear to have concurred 
in the formation of this word ; and it will be 
worth the while of some etymologist to disen- 
tangle them. 

(1.) To Cut is related to the Greek Ko7ttsiv, 
the letter P being dropped, as in aptus, Ital. 
atto ; sep tern, sette ; ruptus, rotto ; and many 



* Hence dimin. Carlina, i. e. little thistle. 
t See Thomson's etyms. 



409 

other words. " Cut this thing !" would in Greek 
be Kottts, but in another dialect Korre. 

(2.) To Cut is related to the French couteau, 
in Latin cultettus. 

(3.) To Cut is related to the Latin curtare and 
curtus (short), Fr. court 

Curtus is the participle of the Greek verb 
Ksipew, to cut ; just as Short is the old participle 
of the verb to Shear. 

This affinity of the verb to Cut is plainly 
shewn in the following specimen of the Cornish 
language : " yn cutt termyn " — in a short time — 
" in curto termino " {Lat. barb.) 

Race. 
Race, i. e. lineage or family, is the Spanish 
Raiz, origin, or root (Lat. Radix), French Race, 
in the dialect of Burgundy, Raice. I will quote 
an example from the latter dialect, which shews 
the affinity of the word : " de lai raice Borbonne 
un deigne borjon " — a worthy scion or offshoot 
of the Bourbon race or stock. 



Another etym may, however, be given of the 
word Race. It may be the Moeso-gothic Raz, a 
house. For nothing is commoner than this mode 
of expression. We say "the house of Hanover" 

3 G 



410 

— " the house of Austria," &c. &c. And equally 
familiar are the expressions, " house of Israel " 
— " house of Jacob," &c. 

Perhaps the etyms are both true, and have 
flowed together into one. 

to Carol. 

Song and dance frequently accompany each 
other. To Carol is derived from the Breton 
word CoroE, to dance, which comes from the 
Greek Xopsus*v, to dance ; and Xopo$, Chorus, 
which means both song and dance. 

Mote. 

A Mote, or atom, may possibly come from the 
middle Latin molt or molta, dust : which Bos- 
worth* derives from molere, to grind to dust. 
The French for molere is moudre, without the 
letter L. 

I have elsewhere given a different conjecture. 

Mead. 

Mead, an intoxicating liquor, the favourite 
beverage of our Northern ancestors. Anglo-Sax. 
Medu; Greek Methu, MsQv. 

* See his Dictionary, art. Mealt. 



411 

The coincidence of the two names is very 
remarkable, and shews community of origin be- 
tween the Hellenic and Teutonic races. 

The MsXixparov of the Greeks has become 
Melogratum in middle Latin, as if it meant 
gratum, pleasant in flavour. 

Walrus. 

Ingram* explains this to mean the Russian 
whale: but this is incorrect. 

It means whale-horse (from Germ, ross, a 
horse), since it partakes of the nature of a whale. 
It is often called the sea-horse. 

Queen bee. 

Although the name of the Queen Bee is very 
appropriate, yet it seems to have been first sug- 
gested by the ambiguity of the word Cwen or 
Gwen; which in Saxon meant a Queen, but in 
Celtic meant a Bee. 

Lee. 

The Lee-side of a ship is so called because it 
lies, that is, falls over, or is inclined downwards, 
by the force of the wind. 

* Inaugural lecture, p. 95, note g. 



412 

In Dutch, de lij-zijde, the lee-side.* 

Bran. 

What we call Brown bread was called Bran 
bread (panis furfuraceus) in the middle ages. It 
is evident that Bran meant the Brown or husky 
part of the ground corn.f 

So in Latin also, furfur (bran) is, I think, 
plainly derived from furvus (brown). 

Grig. 

In addition to what has been said before, it 
may be observed that a cricket was called Grceg 
in Saxon (see Bosworth's Dictionary, art. Grceg- 
liama). But I think he is quite wrong in ex- 
plaining it to mean " of a grey colour." 

Waybread. 

Waybread is an old name for the plantain, a 
weed which grows very commonly by roadsides 
in England. But what has it to do with bread f 
It affords no nourishment of any kind. The 



* What nonsense Skinner talks, in deriving it from the French 
Veau, water ! Yet Johnson mentions this. 

f So the white part, or pure flour, was called in Greek aX^ira, 
from albus. 



413 

German name for it is Wege-tritt, that is, Way- 
tread — a good name, because it is constantly 
trodden under foot, growing, as it does, on the 
hardest roads. I therefore conjecture that the 
word Way-tread, being ill written in the manu- 
scripts, was mistaken for way-bread by v our old 
herbalists. 

English Surnames, 

Henderson. — The same as Anderson, or the 
son of Andrew. 



Oldmiwon : i. e. the son of Old Mic or Michael. 



Nelson. — Two etyms may be suggested, viz. 
(1) the son of Neil or Niel, a well-known Celtic 
name of old renown. Or (2) the son of Nell or 
JEllinor. Some names (as Anson, for instance) 
are derived from the mother. 



Gresham. — It is well known that the arms of 
Gresham are a grasshopper, and figure at this very 
day over the Royal Exchange. This arises from 
the circumstance of Gresham having meant a 
grasshopper in one of the old English dialects — 



414 

Anglo-Sax. grci'g-ham, a grasshopper (pronounced 
grej-ham or gr edge-ham*). 



Drinkwater. — This name occurs both in French 
(Boilecm) and in Italian (Bevelacqua). 



Massinger. — A mass-singer; a priest who sings 
the mass. 



Fletcher. — The name of a trade. It was the 
business of a fletcher to fledge arrows, that is, 
feather them. Or from the French fleche, an 
arrow. But this comes to the same : for fleche 
(in old German flitz) is derived from the Teutonic 
ftiegen, to fly. 



Landseer. — From the French Lander^ a lancer. 



BurMnyoung. — Corrupted from the French Bour- 
guignon, viz. a native of Burgundy or Bourgogne. 



Reynolds. — The same name as Reginald spoken 



* As brig, bridge; rigg, ridge; to drag, to dredge; Meg, 
Madge; &c. &c. 

f Pronounced in the English way : so Ligonier and Le 
Mesurier, which in the Rolliad rhymes to " ear." 



415 

quickly. The German Rcinhold* is an inter- 
mediate form. 



Hudson, who has given his name to a fine 
river and magnificent bay on the American 
Continent, seems the same with Hbdson or 
Hodgson, from Hodge. Is this the same name 
as Hugh or Hugo f 



Garth : means yard, garden, court, &c. Hence 
Apple-garth, Hogarth, &c. 



Mansel. — I am glad to be able to explain the 
name of this noble family. The Mansels inhabited 
Le Mails in France, and came over with William 
the Conqueror. This is said somewhere in the 
Roman de Rou. 



Oglander. — Probably from the German Hoch- 
lander, a highlander ; viz. a native of the German 
highlands, as opposed to the Netherlands or Low 
countries. 



Armitage, or Armytage, means the Hermitage. 
The old name for a hermit was armit. 

* J. Reinhold Forster, a celebrated botanist of the last century. 



416 

Cock of a gun. 

Similarly in German Hahn (a cock). 

But the Italians call it Can (a dog) : and from 
them the French say, " Cliien d'un fusil." 

It should be observed that Halm differs very 
little in sound from the Florentine pronunciation 
of Can. 

Both these names are unmeaning, and perhaps 
both of them have arisen from the word Canna, 
a gun-barrel, misunderstood. 

The cock of a vessel, used for drawing off the 

liquor, is also called halm in German. And again 

we find that the French word for it (viz. cannelle 

or cannette) is derived from canna, a pipe, canal, 

or channel. 

Gun. 

A word of uncertain etymology. I think, 
however, that it may be the same as the Anglo- 
Sax. Girn (machina). 

Girn was also written Grin* Gin seems to 
be the same word; and thence Thomson derives 
Gun. Gin and Engine are related words: or, 
at least, have influenced each other in modern 
language. 

* So bird, bryd; third, thryd ; afeard, afraid; to form, 
frermnan, &c. 



417 

to Chop. 
To Chop is from the Greek Koxts/v. C often 
becomes CH ; ew.gr. canal, channel; cantare, 
chanter ; canis, chien ; cosa, chose. 

Porpoise. 

Porpoise, or Porpus, is corrupted from porcus, 
i. e. porcus marinus. 

So in Breton it is called Mor-huc; from Mor, 
the sea ; hue, a hog. In French it is Marsouin, 
which is a corruption of Mer-swine, or sea-swine. 
And in German it is Meer-schwein. 

Isidorus says : " porci marini qui vulgo vo- 
cantur suilli." 

The monk Almoin (quoted by Menage) has: 
" Conspiciunt porci-pisces in fluctibus ludere."* 

In Greek it is called Delphin ; and a pig is 
called Delphax :"\ if this agreement is accidental, 
it is surely a very remarkable accident. 

A rock partly submerged was called Xoipag, 
from its resemblance to the back of a porpoise 
floating on the waves (Koipog porcus). " Dorsum 
immane mari summo." — Virg. 



* This writer, then considered the name '• por -poises " to 
mean " yorci-pisces," or perhaps the French " ipoic-poissons." 
t Menage remarks this. 

3 H 



418 

Phorcus and Ceto were sea-deities. Ceto mean- 
ing " whale" perhaps Phorcus may mean " porcus," 
another monster of the deep. 

Poniard. 

Poniard, French poignard, from poing, the 
closed hand : poignee (1) whatever is held in the 
closed hand ; (2) the handle of a sword. In 
Italian it is pugnale, from pugno, the closed 
hand or fist. In Greek it is similarly called 
£y%£if>i?>iov* meaning a little weapon held in the 

hand, ev X £l P 1, 

But in Latin it is pugio, from pungere, to 
pierce. It is, however, quite evident that the 
Latins must have here confused the two roots 
pungere, to pierce, and pugnus, the closed hand.f 

Poignant 
Poignant, a word of French origin, is almost 



* Which, by the way, has been confused with eyxidiov, a 
little sword, the diminutive of ey^og* 

f The grammarians derive pugnare, to fight, from pugnus, the 
fist, because, they say, the first men fought with their fists. 
But pugnare seems always to have meant fighting with swords ; 
and pugnal probably always meant a short sword, as it does now 
in Italian ; doubtless connected with the root pungere, to strike or 
wound. 



419 

the same as pungent; and the only reason why 
it is so differently spelt, is that its spelling has 
been influenced by the word poignard, which 
many persons conceived to be so called from 
its pungency (not a bad etymology, since it is the 
Latin pugio — see the last article). Hence pun- 
gency and poignancy came to be used indiffer- 
ently. 

Bit 

A Bit of any thing meant originally a Bite 
of it. The truth of this etymology appears from 
the corresponding word morsel, French morceau, 
Ital. morso,* from the Latin morsus, a bite. 

Bitter. 

Bitter meant originally " having a biting taste." 
So the Greek Trixpog is allied to the Spanish 
picor, a pungent taste, and to the verb piquer. 



Comparing this article with the last, it is 
curious to observe that a bit (morsel, fragment) 
comes from the same root with the adjective 
bitter, though at first sight they seem to be two 
ideas having nothing in common. 



* A Bit for a horse is also morso. 



420 

A similar instance is seen in the words Canon 
and Cannon (see a preceding article). 

Interest of money. 

In a former part of this work (p. 74) I 
hazarded the idea, that our ancestors did not 
say " the Interest of money," but " the Incress 
or Increase of money." 

But I was not then aware that evidence 
existed, very easily accessible, proving this opinion 
to be correct. 

It is found in the authorized version of Ezekiel 
xviii. 8. " He that hath not given forth upon 
usury, neither hath taken any increase" 

Again, in verse 13 ; and in verse 17, " he 
that hath not received usury nor increase" 

Introducing the modern word, the passage will 
run thus : " he that hath not received usury nor 
interest" 

Peer of the realm. 

Peers of the realm. In middle Latin the phrase 
was " pares regni " — " pares Angliae " — " pares 
Francise." This sufficiently shews, that at that 
time the word was commonly thought to be 
derived from the Latin pares, equal. And this 
has continued to be the prevailing opinion. They 



421 

were so called, it is affirmed, " quia pares inter 
se " — because they are equal one to another. 
This opinion, aided by the circumstance, that we 
really have in our language the words peer, 
compeer, peerless, &c, derived from the Latin 
par, compar, &c. has caused a notion to grow 
up of a kind of equality among the members of 
the peerage, although considerably differing in 
titular dignity. 

But there are great objections to this ety- 
mology. For, the peers were not called at first 
" pares inter se " (this is an attempt at expla- 
nation, of a later date). They were called 
" pares regni " or " pares Angliae." 

Moreover, although the "pares inter se' 9 offers 
some explanation of the title of " peers" or may 
be thought to justify it, after its having come 
into use, yet it seems very unlikely that a 
monarch about to create a new order of nobility 
should call them by so poor a title as " Equals 
among each other" or simply " Equals" when so 
many other phrases expressive of excellence and 
dignity might easily have been chosen. For 
these reasons I hold the usual etymology to be 
doubtful. 

Let us now inquire what is the meaning of 
the word Pier in Norman French? 



422 

It has two meanings : 

(1.) Father. 

(2.) Peer of the realm. 

First, it means "father:" ex.gr. "Hughe le 
Dispenser le pier, et Hughe le Dispenser le fitz" 

" Le roy E. pier au notre seigneur le roy qi 
ore est." 

Secondly, it means "peer of the realm:" ex.gr. 
" Femmes destate des piers du roialme soient 
jugges come piers" (statute 20 Henr. VI. cap. 9). 

" Per comen assent des piers et du people de 
roialme." 

Such then being the two meanings of the word 
Pier, I think they are not two different words, 
but one and the same word : and that the 
Chief Men in the kingdom were called naturally 
enough the Patres regni — in old French, Piers du 
roialme. 

For, the appellation of "father" was anciently 
often a mere title of honour : thus a Roman 
Emperor was generally surnamed " pater patriae," 
and the senators of Rome were called the " patres 
conscripti." 

Now suppose a law to be enacted by the 
S.P.Q.R. (senatus populusque Romanus) — " by 
the common assent of the Patres and the Po- 
pulus" — what a great resemblance this has to 



423 

the enactments of our early Anglo-Norman par- 
liaments—" per comen assent des Piers et du 
People de roialme." 



Since writing the above I have found that a 
similar etymology has been previously suggested 
by Castelvetro* and by Giovan Villani, who says 
that Charlemagne called the twelve Paladins 
"pares" being a term in the Frankish tongue 
equivalent to " patres." 

Budseus also, and others, partly agree with 
me ; for they derive peers from patricii. 



Phiz. 

Phiz. From the old French Vis, the face. 
Vis-a-vis is face to face. 

Vis is the Italian viso, Lat. visits, related to 
the verb video, as otyig, the face, is to oTrrsa-dai, 
to see ; and etiog, the face or countenance, to 
tiew. So in German we have gesicht and ansicht, 
the face or appearance ; and in English, the 
look, for the countenance, ex. gr. " in good looks." 



It may be asked, then, why the word Phiz is 



* Menage II. 272. 



424 

spelt with a Ph instead of a V ? This happened, 
because many persons supposed phiz to be 
short for physiognomy, which has the same mean- 
ing. Nor is this opinion without importance in 
a philological point of view, since it suggests to 
us a remark on the history of the latter word. 

The literal import of physiognomy is " know- 
ledge of nature " or " acquaintance with nature." 
But it is not used in that sense, but in another 
(which seems at variance with its original mean- 
ing) of " critical knowledge of the face and 
features ;" being also often used simply for " the 
face." How the word came to have this 
meaning may be guessed at in the following 
way. 

Those Greeks who dwelt in Italy seem to 
have coined the phrase. Taking some Italian (or 
provincial Latin) word which began with Visio 
(the countenance), they adopted it for their own, 
which could easily be done by changing visio 
into the Greek physio, of somewhat similar mean- 
ing. Intending only to correct the spelling, they 
thus really changed the word for another. 

Penny. 

Penny, Germ, pfennig. I have already said, 
that I suspect the last syllable ig to be a Celtic 



425 

diminutive : the chief question is, therefore, the 
meaning of the first syllable Pfen. 

Here is another conjecture on the subject. In 
Bretagne a penny is called wennek or givennek, 
which means " a little white " — it being a small 
silver coin. 

It is stated to have been an ancient Gaulish 
coin, and the name of the wennek may easily 
have changed into the Saxon peneg — their only 
silver coin. 



In the proverb "penny wise and pound foolish" 
the two words are used as a strong contrast. It 
is curious to observe, that anciently a penny 
and a pound were nearly the same ; the Saxon 
peneg meaning a pound-weight (see Bosworth's 
Dictionary). 

It is obvious that the Latin pondus and pendere, 
to pay money (also meaning " to weigh "), have 
connected themselves with the northern peneg 
(also written pending or penning). But it does 
not follow that the original etym of the latter 
is to be sought in the Latin pendere. 

Battledoor. Shuttlecock. 

Shuttlecock. Johnson has well remarked, that 
3 i 



426 

the last syllable should be written cork. For it 
is a cork stuck round with feathers. 

But he is sadly out in his etyni of battledoor, 
which he derives from battle and door. Here 
Thomson steps in to our help, as he often does, 
and gives us the true derivation from the Spanish 
batidor, a beater, a striker. Tt may be presumed 
that the game was introduced to England from 
the Peninsula. 

Robert. Roger. Edward. Otlio. James. 

Robert, otherwise Rupert or Ruprecht, appears 
to mean Red-beard ; from the old words Ro or Ru 
(red) and bart (a beard). 

Roger is short for Rudiger, meaning the Red spear 
or the Bloody spear: a good name for a warrior. 
From ro or rud (red) and gar (a spear). The 
name Hroth-gar is found in Anglo-Saxon.* 

Edward: French, Edouard : old French, Au- 
douard ; Ital. Odoardo. We may conjecture that 
Odo is an abbreviation of this name. Otto\ is 
evidently the same, and so is the name of the 
Roman emperor Otho, whose ancestry may have 
been of northern origin. 

* Wright's Literature of the Anglo-Saxons, p. 10. 

I' Ex. gr. Otto Guericke a celebrated philosopher of German)^. 



427 

James, in Scotch Jamie, in Spanish Jayme. It 
is remarkable that the Spanish have another name 
answering to our James, viz. Jacobo.* 

Rory. Terry, Theodoric. Theodore. Dorothy. 
The Irish name Terry has been supposed by 
some wiseacres to be short for Terence, and has 
therefore been in sundry instances modernised into 
that name of classic reputation. Which is a pity, 
because Terry is a fine old Celtic name, written 
in French Thierri. Several kings of the earlier 
race bore that name. It is short for Theodoric 
exactly in the same way that Rory is short for 
Roderick.^ 

Theodoric and Theodore are two names which 
greatly resemble but in reality have nothing to do 
with each other. Theodore is Greek and means 
" the gift of God." Theodoric is Gothic or old 



* Jacob is understood to be of Hebrew derivation. Why 
James and Jacob should be considered the same name, is not 
very evident. St. James the Apostle is named Jacobus in the 
original Greek. 

f This kind of contraction, viz. the omission of D or T before 
Ii, is very frequent : ex. gr. pater, pere : mater, mere : frater, 
frere : Germ, oder, Eng. or. In the same way Roderick became 
Rurick and Rory. 



428 

German, and means "Chief of the people" (Hie, 
chief: Theodo, people). The title Hie generally 
is placed at the end of a name, as Vercingeto-n>, 
&c. Dorothy (the gift of God) is composed of 
the same syllables as Theodore* but reversed in 
order. 

John. 

John is the commonest of our English names. 
If the reason is asked, it will probably be said 
that it is owing to the great celebrity of St. 
John the Apostle, and St. John the Baptist. But 
though this is the chief reasonf why the name 
is so common, it is not the only reason ; another 
cause has casually aided and is worthy of being 
pointed out. 

Let us observe in the first place that when 
a young person's name is not known, or not 



* From Theodore we have by contraction the celebrated family- 
name of Tudor. The same contraction is seen in enthusiasm, 
which is also derived from deog. 

t Is not John a hundred times commoner name than Paul ? 
But does the celebrity of St. John exceed that of St. Paul in 
that degree ? If not, it is probable, as suggested in the text, that 
some other circumstance has had an influence in spreading the 
name of John so widely. 



429 

remembered, he is frequently called younker !* 
boy! young fellow I &c. &c. These words, from 
frequent repetition, have at length in some in- 
stances become proper names. Thus the German 
word Bub or Bube (meaning Boy) has become 
Bob or Bobby. Peggy is nothing else » than a 
trifling alteration of the Danish word for a girl. 
Madge, and Maggie, and Margaret are old German 
words for a maid. Mdghet, a maid, pronounced 
broadly and strongly having become Margaret.-f 

So also daisies (emblems of the fair and inno- 
cent) were formerly called Mdghets, that is, maids : 
(7roLpQeviov in Greek) which the French have 
changed into Marguerites. 

Now there is reason to believe that in a 
similar way the Italians often addressed a youth 
whose name was unknown to them by the simple 
appellation of Giovane ! ( Young man : the Latin 
juvenis) and that the extreme resemblance of 
this word to the proper name Giovanni, as pro- 
nounced by some people, gradually caused a 
confusion between them, and thus Giovanni became 



* Germ, junger : einjunger mann. 

f Not really derived from Latin margarita a pearl, which is 
only a casual though beautiful coincidence. 



430 

one of the commonest of names.* Moreover John 
is in Russian Iwan (or Iwav which is the Greek 
hooLwrjg) and in Spanish it is Juan (differing 
only in the vowel U for or W). This Juan 
is the ancient Latin prsenomen Junius, if I am 
not altogether mistaken, the connexion of which 
with Junior, a young man, is evident. Evan in 
Welsh answers to Ivan or Iwan in Russian. It 
has become a monosyllable in English John, and 
Dutch Jan, and Italian Gian (as Giambattista, John 
the Baptist), Venetian dialect Zan (as Zantedeschi, 
John the German : Zampieri, Jean Pierre : Zanni- 
chelli, probably Jean Michel, &c. &c). 

Lily of the Valley. 

French muguet. I suspect that this is a varia- 
tion of the old northern word maguet or maghet, 
a maid (see page 429) the flowers of this plant 
being fair and sweet; modest and retiring. And 
this shews why it was especially called the flower 
of May (majalis).f Not because it blooms in 



* I observe that the Italians sometimes Latinize Giovanni by 
Jovianus, so that the emperor Jovianus may have really been an 
ancient Giovanni, although he probably referred the origin of his 
name to the worship of Jove. This again affords matter for 
speculation. 

t Convallaria majalis of Linneeus. 



431 

May, for thousands of flowers appear in May, 
but because a maiden was anciently called a may, 
as readers of old English know. And when 
this was forgotten, the may or maiden-flower was 
erroneously Latinized into flos majalis. 

May-weed. 
Anthemis Cotula, Linn. A large kind of daisy, 
very common in England, but flowering much 
later in the year than the month of May, which 
shews it did not take its name from thence. In 
fact all daisies were anciently called Mays, that 
is, Maids (see page 429). Another kind of daisy 
is the Partlienium of botanists, waflenov in Greek, 
meaning the maiden's flower. Besides this, two 
other flowers are frequently called " May" viz. 
majalis (the lily of the valley) and the may or 
hawthorn. All three have white flowers, and 
their names probably mean the same thing, viz. 
"fair maids." Compare the pretty white flowers 
called " Fair Maids of France."* 

Scent 

The letter C in this word is superfluous ; it has 
evidently been added by some persons who were 

* Ranunculus. 



432 

misled by the spelling of such words as Scepter, 
Scene, &c. &c. Scent was formerly more 
correctly written Sent ; being derived from the 
French Sentir to smell, whence Senteur a 
perfume : pois de senteur, sweet peas. In the 
same way an erroneous mode has now become 
prevalent of spelling the name of our Eastern 
province of Scinde ; which should be written Sind, 
from the river Sind or Indus. Hence the 
ancients called the light Indian muslin, SwoW. 

The French formerly fell into a similar error, 
writing spavoir for savoir, although that verb 
comes from the Latin sapere. 

To Cense.* Censer. Incense. 

Censer, short for licenser. Fr. Encensoir. 
From the Latin incendere to burn, because per- 
fumes are burnt in religious ceremonies. 

Nevertheless (since a perfumed scent is the 
leading idea in this word, and that of burning 
is merely accessory) it seems very probable that 
the words to Cense and Censer were originally 
connected with the French Senteur a perfume, 



* The Salii sing, and cense his altar round 

With Saban smoke, their heads with poplar bound. 

Dry den. 



433 

Old English a Sent, (now written Scent) ; F. 
Sentir, to shed an odour, &c., &c. 

to Gore. 

To Gore with a spear or with any sharp pointed 
weapon : probably from the A. Sax. Gar, 'a spear. 

Oh, let no noble eye profane a tear 

For me, if I be gored with Mowbray's spear. 

Shaksp. 

The word gore (blood) is of difficult etymology. 
Perhaps it meant originally a wound, and is related 
to the verb to gore. 

Asparagus. 

Asparagus, vulgo Sparrow-grass. This is in 
general considered to be a sad corruption of a 
Greek word, but there is some reason to think that 
it may be a genuine Northern term. " Sparrow," 
indeed, is wrong, but the real name may have 
been Spear-grass. For the plant comes up like 
a multitude of little spears — and our ancestors 
used to take notice of such similitudes : thus they 
called a species of leek the gar-leek, that is, the 
spear-leek (whence our garlick), because it shoots up 
with a single stem terminated by a head. Hence 
also the Latins said spica allii, sharp pointed things 

3 K 



434 

being named spikes, pikes, or spicula in many 
languages. 

Whether the Asparagus of the Greeks was 

absolutely the same plant may be doubted. At 

any rate two different names appear to have 
coalesced; neither of them derived from the 
other. 

Clove Carnation. 

This flower has an agreeable scent, but it may 
be doubted whether it resembles that of the Clove 
Spice of India so nearly as to deserve to have the 
same name in English, and also in Latin (Diantlms 
Caryophyllus) . 

Indeed I suspect that this appellation has arisen 
from a very ancient horticultural error. The 
petals of some species of pink and carnation 
(especially Dianthus superbus) are so remarkably 
cloven or cut, that I think it was on this account 
denominated the Clove flower. The same thing 
occurs in the related genus Lychnis in the species 
called flos cuculi or ragged robin. 

Wrack. 
Sea-weeds, cast upon the shore by the waves. 
In French, Varec. 
This word comes from the Breton vorec (ma- 






435 

rinus) otherwise morec ;* which is from vor or mor 
the sea. 

Wrack, or seaweed, seems related to Wreck, as 
being thrown ashore by the waves ; but if so, it 
should follow that the latter word is derived 
from the former and therefore is of Celtic origin. 
I think this etym of the word Wreck has not 
been clearly pointed out before. 

Tailor. 

From the French tattler, to cut: so in German 
Schneider, from sclmeiden, to cut. 

Without disturbing this well-known etymology, 
we may add, that the word has perhaps united 
itself with telarius,-\ one who sells cloth ; a 
Clothier ; one who clothes us. 

English proper names. 

Parkinson, otherwise Parkins and Perkins, 
means the son of Perkin, that is Peterkin or 
little Peter. The most celebrated of the name 
was Perkin Warbeck. 



* From ar morec, the sea shore, comes Armorica, the ancient 
name of the sea coasts of Gaul. 

f Lat. barb, from tela, cloth ; Fr. toile. 



436 

Margesson : the son of Margy or Margaret : 
(otherwise Meg, Madge, Moggie, &c. — whence 
Moxori). 



From Hob we have Hobson and diminutive 
Hopkinson or Hopkins. 



Samson — a Biblical name. Also, the son of 
Sam or Samuel. These two names are different, 
though spelt the same. 



Simson is the German way of spelling the 
Hebrew name Samson. But there is another 
Simson (otherwise Sims) meaning the son of Sim 
or Simon. 



Simpkinson * or Simpkins — diminutive of the 
last — from Simon. 



Pearson — the son of Pierre or Peter, 



* The letter M lias such affinity with P that it frequently 
assumes it without necessity : thus Samson is often written 
Sampson, and Simson Simpson ; and Thomson, Thompson. 
The French words terns, temps were originally the same. In 
Greek words the P is always inserted : ex. gr. Lampsacus. 






437 

Emerson, probably from Aymer or Aimer an 
old Norman name. 



Wilkie, diminutive of Will or William. So 
also Wilkes, Wilkins, and Wilkinson. Willis is 
the genitive case of Will, the word " son " being 
understood, as in all similar instances. 



Sidney is the English way of spelling St. 
Denis. So we have Sinclair for St. Clair ; 
Seymour for St. Maur ; and the proper names 
St. Leger, often pronounced Sillinger ; St. John 
pronounced Sinjon, &c. 



Lambert, i. e. a Lombard or foreign merchant. 



Palgrave, i. e. the Count Palatine : Germ. 
pfalz-graf. 



Go-to-bed, the name of a botanist mentioned 
by Ray, is the German Got-bet or Gott-bet, 
meaning " pray to God." It is analogous to the 
Puritanical name of Praise-God,* in German 



* Ex. gr. Praise- God- Barebones — Probably an Italian 
surname. Barbone means in Italian Long-beard or Great- 
beard, from barba. 



438 

Gott-lob. Something similar to this is the German 
Gott-lieb, meaning Love-God, in Italian Ama-dio, 
Lat. Amadeus, old French Amadis. 



Godbid, the name of a printer in Queen 
Elizabeth's time, is the same with the preceding 
name, Gotobed. 



Bidgood, a modern name, is the same. In 
German it would be Bete-Gott, i.e. " Pray to God." 



Pocock. Old English for Peacock, 



Sumner. A Summoner : an officer of the 
Courts. 



Jessop. From the Italian Giuseppe, meaning 
Joseph. 



Hogg. The same as Hodge (like brigg, bridge; 
to drag, to dredge). Possibly related to Hugh, 
and Hugo. 



Rainy : is the French name Rene, in Latin 
Renatus, that is, a regenerate person, " born again." 



Wilcowon : i.e. Will the cockswain. 






439 

Philpotts. — The same as the French Phelipeaux, 
and the Greek Philippos, retaining the final S of 
that name, and accenting it strongly on the last 
syllable, Philippos. 



Frobisher. — The name of a celebrated navigator 
in Queen Elizabeth's reign. It is the name of a 
trade, a furbisher, that is a polisher or burnisher. 



Cramer. — The name of a trade. Germ. Kramer, 
a Mercer. 



Brackenbury : i. e. " the hill covered with fern." 
Bracken is fern: and bury is the Germ, berg, a 
hill : ex. gr. Silbury, an immense tumulus in 
Wiltshire. 



Malthus : Loftus : Bacchus. — Hus* is old Eng- 
lish for a house. Malthus signifies the Malt-house : 

* I suspect that hus meant originally a door. For so, the 
man who lives in the next house is called my next- door neigh- 
bour. Pars pro toto. Carina and puppis and TrXarr) (an oar) 
which are only parts of a ship, often signify the whole ship : 
and so a door, one of the essential parts of a house, came to 
mean the whole house. A door was in old French huis (whence 
huissier, a door-keeper), and in other old dialects it was hus or 
us (whence usher, Ital. usciere), which word hus is surely 
identical with hus a house. 



440 

Loftus the Loft-house: Bacchus (which some may 
not know to be an English surname) the Bake- 
house, formerly written Bak-hus. * 

A great number of words, like this Bacchus, 
have been much altered in modern times by an 
attempt to dress them up, and give them a 
classical air. Thus the Irish name Terence is 
nothing more than an attempt to improve 
upon Terry, which needed no improvement, 
being the same as Thierri, a famous name of 
the middle ages. There is reason also to suppose 
that the Irish name JEneas is not genuine, but 
only the Celtic name Ant/us (otherwise Angus) 
improved into a classical form. 

Grandee. 

We have a class of words in English ending 
in ee, such as referee, trustee, committee, endorsee, 
legatee, &c, &c, which have a passive significa- 
tion. 

Jury is one of these words (French jure, 
sworn). 

But Grandee is not one of them, although it 
seems so at first sight, being nothing more than 



* Backhouse is the same name. Similar names are Woodhouse 
and Stackhouse. 



441 

" un Grande di Spagna." We have thrown an 
emphasis on the last syllable, with a view pro- 
bably of making the word more sonorous and 
suitable to the dignity of such high personages. 

Levee. 

Our spelling of this word is likewise erroneous, 
it being derived from " le lever du roi," and not 
from la levee. The latter word has been anglicized 
into a lev?/, as a levy of soldiers, a levy of taxes. 

Legatee. Legacy. 

Originally from the Greek tojysjv, to leave; 
hence French leguer, to leave ; and legs, a legacy. 

Stoker. 

Irish Stoca, a servant-boy ; a helper. The final 
A of other languages often becomes ER in English : 
eoc. gr. Span, daga, Engl, dagger: Lat. charta, 
Engl, charter. And so the Latin word talpa, a 
mole, is nothing else than a Teutonic word dis- 
guised, namely, the delver, or animal that bur- 
rows. 

One of the most curious instances of this 
change is seen in the word Osier, which is the 
Greek Ourua, a very ancient word, used by 
Homer himself. 



442 

to Allow. Furlough. Leave. 

To Allow, Germ, erlauben, the ER having become 
a short A in English (see the preceding article). 

Furlough corresponds to a Teutonic form ver- 
laub, from the same radical syllable laub, answering 
to the English leave: ex. gr. "leave of absence" 
(or furlough) : and the German phrase " erlauben 
Sie," give me leave. 

Although the German AU sounds like English 
OU or OW (in house, power), yet it often cor- 
responds to the much acuter sound of E or EE, 
as laub, leave ; laufen, to leap ; haufe, a heap ; 
taufen, to dip ; taub, deaf; and the ancient word 
laub, a leaf. 

Bereft. 

Bereft or Bereaved: Germ, beraubt, is the par- 
ticiple of the old verb to reave (Germ, rauben). 
Rauben is to rob : to reave is another form of the 
same word, substituting the acuter sound of E 
for the German AU (see the last article). 

Handywork. 

This word is generally erroneously divided 
handy-work, whereas it is composed of hand and 
ywork, the old English participial form of work. 
Anglo-Saxon hand-geweorc. 



443 

Deep. 
Deep, Germ, tief, is related to the verbs to 
dip and dive, and the Teutonic taufen and taufen 
and the Greek ^vx-reiv. 

Marsh Mary gold. 

Supposed to be the Caltlia of the ancients. 
This is a very different flower from the common 
Mart/gold, and therefore, if that name is properly 
applied to it, I think that it must be in a 
different sense, and that the first part of the 
name Marygold must in this case mean a Mere 
(in French Mare) that is, a watery place, or pool, 
whence marais, a marsh, and marecage are derived. 
Marygold would then mean " Or des marais" the 
" mere-gold" 

I will take this opportunity to observe that 
from the old Gallic word Mare, a pool, came the 
adjective Maresc, swampy, marshy ; whence the 
Latins borrowed the word Mariscus, a rush, 
growing in swampy places.* 

The word Marsh seems itself derived from Mar, 
a pool of water : whence the adjective marish or 
rnar'sh, watery or swampy. 

* In Facciolati's Lexicon it is absurdly derived from mas, 
maris (masculine). 



444 

Polypody, Scolopendrium. 

Names of ferns, found commonly in England. 
I think both names had the same meaning at 
first. For Polypodeia (i.e. many feet) is the 
modern Greek name for the Scolopendra, or 
Centipede, which the leaves of the plant were 
thought to resemble. But the name Scolopendrium 
is now quite misapplied by Botanists to a plant 
which bears long, simple undivided leaves; and 
which was formerly much better named the Hart's 
tongue, or Lingua Cervina. The true Scolopendra 
leaf was most probably the Blechnum boreale, a 
kind of fern very frequent in our mountain woods, 
and the outline of which much resembles some 
large kinds of Scolopendra. 

Bracken. 

Bracken, or fern, is the Greek (Sta^yo*. Pliny 

says: 

" Pterin Grseci vocant, alii Blechnon." 

Fern. 

Per, in the northern languages, means a feather. 
In Persian, Per. Since the Greeks called fern 
Pterin, or feather, the word Fern may perhaps be 
derived from Per. 



445 

to Ramble, 

The etym of this word appears to be quite 
uncertain. I would remark that the public 
promenade at Barcelona is called the Rambla : 
and therefore the verb may be of Spanish origin. 

Hay. 

Hay, Germ. Heu : related to the verb Hauen, 
to heiv or cut — means cut grass. 

Jest. 

Originally meant a pleasant story, from the 
Latin gesta (histories, stories, relations), a word 
much used in the middle ages. Spanish chiste, 
a jest. 

To chafe. Chafing dish. Cockchafer. Lady Cow. 

A Chafing dish is the French chaufferette, which 
shews that we once possessed a verb " to chafe" 
equivalent to the French chauffer. This has 
misled Johnson and others, and caused them to 
confound it with the wholly different verb of 
Saxon origin " to chafe ;" and I have fallen into 
the same error myself in a former article. But 
Thomson, in his etymons, gives us valuable 
assistance respecting this word, and we cannot do 
better than follow his guidance. 



446 

To chafe was originally the same verb as to chaw 
(Germ. kauen), and meant to gnaw with the teeth, 
Fr. ronger, Lat. rodere : to fret (Germ, fressen) : 
to wear away the surface of a thing, properly with 
the teeth, but also by friction of any kind. Thus 
it meant any kind of violent rubbing or fretting. 
And since most things become very warm when 
violently rubbed, hence it happened that the two 
verbs " to chafe," though of quite different origin, 
have long ago coalesced into one, with the meaning 
of " warming a thing by friction." 

Hence the insect called a Chafer or Beetle 
(Germ, kafer) was so named because it devoured 
the crops, just as another kind was named the 
vinefretter, and another in Greek Dermestes (i. e. 
leather-eater). The meaning of Cockchafer is 
somewhat doubtful. Thomsons idea is probable 
enough that it should be Clock Chafer; since 
beetles were formerly called clocks, and one of 
them was vulgarly named the death-watch. 

But cock may be the Latin coccus, a kind of 
insect : compare the little scarlet coleopterous 
insect called coccinella or Lady cow, so common 
in the spring. "Lady cow," Thomson derives 
from Germ, kauen, to chaw or chew; which 
makes it identical in origin with chafer or beetle : 
and " Lady cow " means " Our Lady's beetle," so 



447 

named from its superior beauty : many beautiful 
objects being popularly dedicated to the Virgin. 

But possibly cockchafer may be an error for 
cow-chafer ; coiv being taken in the sense just 
explained, viz. a kind of beetle. 

Corvette. 

From the Latin Corbita, a large merchant ship, 
sailing slow. 

" Tardiores quam corbitse sunt in tranquillo mari." 

Plautus. 

Pronounced probably Corvita, B and V having 

nearly the same sound in Latin. 

Mummers. 

Maskers : Actors in a play : very common 
during the middle ages. From the Latin Mimics, 
an actor. 

The god Momus of the ancients derived his 
name from hence.* 

French momerie, mummery : hypocrisy (i. e. the 
wearing a mask). 



* And so old Cotgrave seems to have thought, for he says in 
his dictionary "Momerie: momisme, carping, faultfinding:" he 
therefore identifies it with the Greek /Kvfiog, ridicule, vitu- 
peration, or lampooning. 



448 

Bugbear. 

The first syllable implies an empty terror, as 
in bug-a-boo and the Scotch bogle (a phantom). 
But the second syllable, bear, appears to be a very 
ancient error for bird. A final D is frequently 
added or taken away at pleasure : it is a mere 
consequence of careless pronunciation.* A bug-bir 
was probably a stuffed bird set up to frighten 
away the others from the farmer's crops : a scare- 
crow. 

Grimace. 

Since writing the former article on this word, 
I have found the true etym of it. It comes 
from an old Saxon term gritna, a mask ; whence 
her-grima a war-mask, i. e. the vizor or vizard of 
a helmet, concealing the warrior's face. The 
ancient comic masks were so distorted that any 
ludicrous or distorted expression of the counte- 
nance (or grimace) was naturally compared to 
them. 

Shakspeare says that persons who are in bodily 
pain 

" make faces like mummers" 



* As in Man, Danish mand: skin, D. skind: and moon, Germ. 
mond. 



449 

Now, mummers wore masks. This shews how 
naturally a grimace is connected with the notion 
of a mask. 

Phiz. 

I have before remarked* that Phiz is only the 
French Vis, the face (from the Latin visits). This 
is confirmed by the word Visnomy, used by Spenser 
for physiognomy. \ It shews that (putrig (nature) 
is not the true root of that word, or at least not 
its only root : but that the first half of it, physio, 
has been corrupted from the Latin visio, the 
visage or countenance. 

Dupe. 

The origin of the word Dupe is very remarkable. 
It has nothing to do with duplicity (as some say) : 
it is the contrary of that. 

The word dupe originally meant a dove or pigeon, 
the most simple and guileless of creatures4 

Even at the present day simple, inexperienced 



* Page 423. 

f " By his like visnomy." 

Spenser. 

I The name of another silly bird, a gull, is frequently used in 

the same sense, and has similarly given rise to a verb : to be 

gulled: like, to be duped. 

3 M 



450 

persons are frequently called pigeons, and said 
to be plucked, &c. Old French, pigeonner, " to 
catch pigeons ; also, to cheat or cozen a silly 
fellow."* 

The French have corrupted pigeon (used in this 
sense of a dupe) into Bejaune and Bee jaune. 

" Bejaune : a novice : a young beginner : a 
simple, ignorant, unexperienced Asse : a rude, 
unfashioned, homebred hoydon : a sot, ninnie, 
doult, noddie : one thats blankt, and hath nought 
to say, when hee hath most need to speake."f 

Bee jaune (yellow beak) is indeed a name quite 
suitable to a nestling or unfledged bird; yet 
nevertheless it seems only a variation of the term 
bejaune, and to have been at first suggested by that 
word. 

Gooseberry, 

Plants of this genus are called in German 
Joliannis-beeren, that is, Johns berries, because they 
are ripe about the feast of St. John, that is, 
Midsummer. 

Now St. John is called in the low dialects of 
Germany and in Holland, St. Jan, and conse- 
quently the fruit named after him is Jans-beeren. 

* Cotgrave's Dictionary, a.d. 1611. t rbid. 



451 

Now this word has been carelessly and ignorantly 
corrupted some centuries ago, into Gans-beeren, of 
which our English Gooseberries is a quite literal 
translation : Gans, in German, signifying a Goose. 

The island of Scio. 

Many countries have been named from their 
principal or most valuable productions : thus we 
speak of the Gold coast : the Ivory coast : the 
Spice islands, &c. 

The great country of Brazil was so named 
because it produced the Brazil wood of commerce.* 

Java is explained to mean the island of barley : 
but T doubt the truth of this. Surely it rather 
means the island of nutmegs (jaya). 

A district in North Africa is named " the 
country of the jerreed" (Biled-ul-jerid). 

The island of Scio in the Archipelago has 
always been celebrated for the production of the 
best mastic in the world, which is called in Greek 
Scino ;f a name so nearly resembling that of 
the island itself, that I think it probable they 
were the same originally. 



* As early as Edward the First's time Brasil is mentioned as 
an inferior kind of colour used by painters. 



452 

Scio, therefore, (anciently X/os) signifies "the 
Mastic Island." This etym was first suggested 
by Mr. Hogg, in Hooker's Journal of Botany.* 
Tswarai, says Dioscorides of the mastic, xa7&i<rlr} 

German Tactics, 

The name of a game. 

The French game of tric-trac was formerly 
called in English by omission of the R, tic-tac (see 
that word in Cotgrave's Dictionary, a.d. 1611). 

Some ingenious person has, by transposing the 
syllables, converted this unmeaning name into a 
remarkably appropriate one, since a game at chess 
or tables may be well likened to military tactics. 

Surtout. 

This word was originally surcout or surcoat 
(Welsh swrcot), meaning an upper or outer coat. 
The French not understanding cout, altered it into 
tout, which also gives a very appropriate meaning, 
and has been literally rendered into the English 
" overalls." 

My Lord. 

The French say "un milord Anglais," and they 

* Vol. i. p. 109. 



453 

have often been blamed for their inaccuracy in 
taking the pronoun "my" to be part of the title. 
But, curiously enough, this error may be traced 
to its source. The English phrase " my Lord," has 
been confused with the Welsh or Breton Milwr, 
a gentleman, a cavalier (pronounced nearly as 
Milur or Mildr). It is the Latin Miles, a knight, 
a soldier. 

Muslin. 

Muslin is generally derived from the city of 
Mosul, or Moussul, in the East. But a very 
different explanation may be given of the name, 
which has more probability. 

For, modern travellers, who pique themselves 
upon exactness, inform us that the correct pro- 
nunciation of the name which we generally find 
written Moslem (that is to say, Mahometan or 
Mussulman) is not Moslem but Muslim. Con- 
sequently the usual dress of that people — or the 
Muslim dress — would be called simply " Muslim." 

For, so other stuffs are familiarly called, Persian : 
Cachemire : Indienne : Chintz (i. e. Chinese) : 
brown Holland : &c. from the countries where 
they are fabricated. 

To which list we may add the 2*vSft>v of the 
ancients, i. e. the Sinde or Indian stuff, which the 



454 

Copts called SJiento (i. e. the dress worn by the 
Gentoos).* 

Hence then there can be little doubt that 
Muslin is a mere alteration of the word Muslim. 

Drysalter. 

The name of a trade. " A person dealing in 
articles for dyeing? — Halliwell's Dictionary. 

I think the word may be a corruption of 
dye-salter or perhaps of dye-sorter, meaning one 
who sells all so?*ts of dyes, or who keeps an 
assortment of them. 

to Shew, or Show. 

Both spellings are in use : but we pronounce 
" show," and therefore that spelling seems the 
preferable one. 

It is supported by the German verb schauen, 
whence schau-spiel, a theatrical show. On the 
other hand the spelling shew is supported by the 
analogy of the verb "to sew? But in this 
latter case a necessity exists for the use of the 
vowel E, in order to distinguish it from the 
verb "to sow? whereas there is no reason for 



* We may likewise mention the word tippet, which takes its 
name from the country of Thibet, where valuable furs are produced. 



455 

adopting a similar license of orthography in the 
verb "to show" 

Miniature, 

This is a most deceptive word. It now 
signifies a very small portrait, or a very small 
copy of any thing, ew. gr. " a miniature edition 
of Shakspeare." It has now decidedly acquired 
this meaning — but only in modern times. For, 
the original meaning of a miniature was quite 
different. It merely meant a 'painting — whether 
large or small : derived from Lat. miniator, a 
painter, which is from minium, paint. 

I was prepared to adduce several proofs of 
the truth of this etymology, but this is unnecessary 
at present, since I find that it is sufficiently well 
known, and mentioned without any doubt by 
Mr. Wright in his Archaeological Album, p. 77. 

This is a very instructive word : showing how 
the sound of a word can gradually alter the 
sense. For there can be no doubt that people 
in general supposed miniature was related to the 
Latin word minor, minimus, minutus, minuere (to 
diminish), and the French mignon* Hence they 
gave it the sense of " smallness and prettiness." 

* Mignon offers an ambiguous derivation: — (1) from the Latin 
root Min, small, delicate : (2) from the Teutonic Minne, love. 



456 



Puss. 

The name of "puss" is bestowed indifferently 
upon the Cat and the Hare. 

But since we cannot suppose that two animals 
so distinct were ever mistaken for each other, 
we may ask why they should have the same 
name ? 

A confusion of nomenclature seems to have 
arisen somehow or other : — and perhaps in the 
following manner. 

Two languages were fashionable, at the same 
time, in mediaeval Britain — the Latin, and the 
Norman French. Many people spoke a little 
of both, and doubtless often made a confusion 
between them. A Hare was called, by those who 
spoke Latin, lepus — which was perfectly correct. 
But others, who spoke a jumble of languages, 
introduced the name carelessly into their Norman 
French. Once established there as a familiar 
word, it was not long, we may guess, before the 
first syllable of the name (Le) came to be mis- 
taken for the French article, and Lepus became 
changed into le puss. 

In many other words the article has given rise 
to similar mistakes ; thus V ingot (an ingot) 
became lingot : V ierre (ivy) became lierre : V unw 



457 

(the Ounce, a kind of leopard) became Auy£ or 
lynx : and V otr (the otter) became lutra. 

Though some may be disposed to consider 
these Classical terms as the original ones. 

the Sine of an Arc, 

An Arc and its Chord are so named from 
their very obvious similarity to a bow with its 
string. The versed-sine is sometimes called the 
sagitta, which completes the similitude : and it 
must be allowed to be a very just one. 

But I have not met with any tolerable expla- 
nation of the term Sine. It has generally been 
supposed to be the Latin Sinus, a bosom : but 
this is most unsatisfactory. A Sine is a straight 
line: while it is the very essence of a Sinus to 
be a Sinuous line, that is, wavy or serpentine. 

The curve of a bay is called Sinus in Latin, 
Ko?i7ro£ in Greek (whence Golfo and Gulf), 
Meer-busen (or sea-bosom) in German. 

But a straight line never could be called a bay* 
or a sinus, or a busen. 

What then is the derivation of the mathematical 
term Sine of an Arc ? Before replying to this, 

* It may be remarked that a Bay or Bight of the sea was 
originally the same word as a Bow, Germ. Bog en; and is derived 
from the verb beugen, to bow; participle ge-beugt or beugt, bent. 

3 N 



458 

I must make two observations. First, that the 
Sine of an arc was originally the same thing as 
its Chord, although it now means half the chord 
of twice the arc. Such mutations of meaning 
have been frequent in all languages. For instance, 
(Tipaipa, and spira were originally the same word, 
meaning sometimes a circle, sometimes a ball. 
Though now they express very different notions 
(a sphere and a spiral). Time has given precision 
to language ; and also the necessity of avoiding 
ambiguity has caused geometers to define and 
limit the meaning of their words very strictly. 
But to resume. Many proofs have convinced me, 
that our Celtic and especially our Teutonic 
ancestors had attained a far higher degree of 
intellectual culture than is generally imagined : 
and that they were no strangers to reading and 
writing, to grammar, geometry, and arithmetic. — 
I do not say that they ever advanced very far, 
but that such studies were known and honoured 
among them. Bailly, as is well known, maintained 
the hypothesis, that the science of the Greeks 
came to them by tradition from a very ancient 
Asiatic nation, skilled in astronomy and many 
other sciences, of whose history almost all traces 
have been obliterated. Without going quite so 
far, many concurring proofs oblige me to admit, 






459 

that in very ancient times indeed the North was 
far more civilized than is generally known — and 
that the happy Hyperboreans, so beloved by 
Apollo, were not altogether a fable. The Greeks 
themselves admit that they were not the inventors 
of Poetry : but that it came to them from the 
North — from the Thracian barbarians. The Britons 
used war-chariots and coined money before Caesar's 
invasion : signs of an ancient civilization, but 
sadly declined, and relapsing into barbarism. 

We possess an ancient Teutonic treatise, full 
of abstract scientific terms : true, it is a translation, 
and not so old as Charlemagne ; but on the other 
hand, the boldness and clearness of the Teutonic 
terms employed to express these abstract ideas, 
are such as to convey the impression that the 
translator used German words long known and 
taught, and familiarly employed in those meanings : 
else his translation could hardly have been intelli- 
gible to any one, and it would have been better 
to have used the foreign scientific terms themselves. 

Such being the case, it is fair to conjecture 
that the scientific term which we are now 
examining, the Sine of an Arc, may be a term 
of Germanic origin. 

And the possibility of this being admitted, we 
have no difficulty in fixing upon the word Sehne, 



460 

the string of a bow : a tendon : a nerve : (in 
English a Sinew), as being the Germanic equi- 
valent of the Latin Chorda, and as falling in 
most completely with the similitude of the Bow 
and Arrow, which the early geometers adopted 
in their nomenclature. It is scarcely necessary 
to observe that the string of a bow (nervus) 
was properly made of the sinews or entrails of 
some animal. 

The Homeric x°^ 1S defined to be euo-lpstpsg 
sprepov oiog, the well-twisted entrail of a sheep. 

Cube. Globe. Cylinder. Cone. Hyperbola. Ellipse* 
Helix, and other geometrical terms. 

Having seen in the preceding article how very 
simple an idea may have given rise to the scientific 
term the Sine of an Arc, we are naturally led to 
observe that many other terms in use among 
geometers at first denoted very common and 
familiar objects, resembling in form, to a certain 
extent at least, the bodies which geometry treats 
of. 

Dice were the first Cubes : they are called 
Kufioi in Greek. 

A Globe (globus or glomus) meant a ball of 
thread or wool rolled up, or any thing amassed, or 
collected into a heap. 



461 

The first Cylinder was a Garden-roller (KuXjvfyos 
from xvTuvfoiv, to roll), which must be acknow- 
ledged to be a very fair resemblance. 

The Cone (Ka>vog) meant a Fir-cone, the fruit 
of the fir-tree, a very familiar object in Greece, 
used for lighting fires, and the seeds for food — 
also a sign of deep mythological import. 

Kwvog also meant a whipping top, such as 
children play with. 

The Hyperbola and Ellipse signify Excess and 
Deficiency, the Hyperbola being a metaphor of 
a vessel filled too full (from v7rep$cxXhaiv, to 
overflow). 

The Helix was a Vine twining round a stake. 
Kap7ra) s?u§ eIT^eitou ayaWo^sva xpoxosvli. 

The term Pyramid is much too difficult to be 
analysed here : I believe it, like Sine, to be of 
Teutonic origin. 

The later geometers of Greece followed up the 
same idea of naming geometrical conceptions from 
fancied resemblances to natural objects. Thus, 
the Conchoid of Nicomedes, from its resemblance 
to a shell. The Cissoid of Diodes (xia-a-og, ivy), 
from its creeping up against its asymptote, like 
ivy up a wall. The Lemniscate seems to mean a 
bow of ribbon, or something of that kind. 

Upon the same principle the French geometers 



462 

call a part cut off from a spherical surface, Calotte, 
which means a kind of cap. We have no analogous 
term in English ; but one is wanted. They call 
a geometrical surface nappe, a cloth : English 
mathematicians a sheet. 

English Surnames. 

Baxter. Webster. Old names for a baker and 
a weaver. 



Timberlake. Error for Timber-leg. A wounded 
soldier, with a wooden leg. 



Armitage. Name taken from a village of that 
name (i. e. the hermitage) near Lichfield. 



Howard. Anciently written Haward. Probably 
the same with Hay ward and Haw ar den. 



Apjohn. " The son of John," in Welsh. 

So Apreece, the son of Reece, otherwise Rhys 
or Rice. 

But in these Welsh names, the initial A is 
generally omitted ; thus instead of Apreece we have 
Price, the son of Rice. And similarly Pugh, the 
son of Hugh : Powell, the son of Howell, or Hoel : 
Bowen, the son of Owen: Prichard, the son of 
Richard: Probert, the son of Robert: Parry, the 



463 

son of Harry : Barry, the same : Bevan, the son 
of Evan : Fluellin* the son of Lewellyn. 



Barnardiston. The stone, i. e. funeral monument, 
of Bernard. So Osbaldiston, and Ossulston, the 
stone of Oswald. 



Halliday. The holiday or festival. 



Cunningham, and Coningsby : the King's village. 
Normanby and Normanton, the Norman village. 
Digby, the village by the dyke. 



Canning, the King : or rather, a name taken 
from the village of Cannings, which belonged to 
the King. 

Le Despenser, and Spenser. 

Butler is a noble, and Stewart a royal name: 
analogous to these, Le Dispenser was the Officer 
who had charge of the Royal pantry. French 
depense, a pantry : from the Latin panis, bread. 
This word, however, has been curiously influenced 
by the Latin verb dispendere, or dispensare, to 
spend, expend, or dispense, line despence formerly 
meant a larder, or storehouse. 



* One of this name really lived at Stratford-on-Avon in 
Shakspeare's time. 



464 

Scrymgeour, i. e. Skirmisher. 



Half hide. Possessing half a hide of land. 



Methuen. Name of a town in Scotland, Methven. 



Romilly. Name of a town in Savoy near 
Geneva. 

to Stop. 

To stop the ears, is in old French " estuper les 
oreilles," evidently connected with another old 
word, estuffer, to stuff: and with the Latin stipare, 
of similar meaning ; as " stipatum tribunal," a 
crammed or crowded court of justice. 

So also we say, to stop a gap, or crevice : to 
stop a leak, &c. &c. 

A stop is properly a plug, which fills up a hole 
completely and tightly, as " the stopper of a bottle." 

But metaphorically, whatever bars the way is 
called a stop, although the condition of closeness 
and tightness may be entirely absent. And hence, 
by a farther extension of meaning, whatever 
prevents motion, is called a stop. 

This word has gradually become one of the 
commonest in the English language, and the 
primitive meaning has been lost sight of. It now 
only implies repose ; as, " the clock has stopped." 



465 

Hammercloth. 

From the Spanish hammaca, a cushioned seat, 
and cloth. 

Arithmetic. 

From the Greek Arithmetical 

In the middle ages, when Greek was not 
understood, this word was carelessly pronounced 
Arith-metrica, and since the first part Arith (or 
Arth) presented no meaning in Latin, it was 
supposed to mean Ars : and thus the whole word 
became Latinized into Ars metrica. 

Although the offspring of chance, this name 
would be well suited to Geometry, or the art of 
measuring. It would be also appropriate to Music, 
or the science of Metre and Rhythm. 

Ogre. 

Probably from Oga, terror, as I have already 
suggested. 

I find that Mr. Wedgwood has proposed the 
same etymology (Proceedings of the Philological 
Society, p. 116). 

Hunchback. 
Hump has become hunch on the same principle 
of permutation of letters that xsja7rs, Welsh pump 
(five), has become punch and pimj in Hindostan. 

3 o 



466 

So also a protuberance is called a bump and 
a bunch. 

" They will carry their treasures upon the bunches of camels." 

Isaiah xxx. 

to Test. 

to Test the qualities of a thing : from the same 
root as to taste, and the French tdter, formerly 
taster. 

Regard Respect 
Properly mean a looking backward; i. e. not 
passing by a thing without looking at it. So in 
German Rucksicht and Hinsicht: and in Danish 
Henblik. 

Blind-worm. To worm. 

Blind-worm : a kind of snake. Altered from 
the German Lind-wurm. Worm anciently meant 
snake or dragon. 

"To worm one's way" is the same as to 
insinuate oneself, to sneak in. Metaphor from the 
motion of a worm (that is, snake) gliding into a 
crevice. I have already observed that the verb to 
sneak is derived from the snake, and this confirms it. 

To Ape the manners of another person, is a 
fresh example to be added to those before men- 
tioned, of verbs derived from the habits of various 
animals. . 



467 

Cowl. 

A Cowl: Lat. Cucullus : Germ. Kugel. 

" If thou speakest to a king or a lord, thou 
takest off thy hat or thy cowl (dine Kugele) from 
thy head, and fallest down at his feet."* 

But the word Kugel now means in German a 
sphere or globe, because a cowl inflated by the wind 
assumes that figure. This is another instance of 
what we remarked a few pages ago,f that various 
mathematical figures have received their names 
from the simplest objects of common life. 

English Surnames. 

Loddiges. This name occurs, as Lodiges, in an 
old German book, a history of the town of 
Brunswick (p. 89). I believe it means the son 
of Lodig, or Ludwig. 



Lennard or Leonard : the Lion-Heart. 
Everard : Germ. Eberhardt : having the heart of 
a wild-boar, in Germ, eber, Lat. aper.% 



* Old German sermons of the 14th Century, p. 45. 

f Page 460. 

% Reynard is a name of the same class : (French, renard). It 
is not an original name for the fox, but an epithet meaning 
" cunning heart" 



468 

Foster. This is not related to the word foster- 
father or brother, but is short for Forster or 
Forester. 



Brewster. Milner. Old names for a brewer and 
a miller. 



Frankland and Lanfranc are the same name. 



Mortlock. Le mort lac ; like Mortimer from 
la morte mer. 



Martineau. From the Italian Martino. The 
usual (but useless) change which the French make 
when they borrow an Italian or Spanish word 
ending in 0. 



Gilchrist. The same as Kilchrist or Christ- 
church. 



Akerman or Ackerman : the Anglo-Saxon name 
for an agriculturist. 



Petrie, i. e. Petri Alius. Similar names are 
frequent among the Germans, ex. gr. Augusti, 
Ruperti, Jacobi, Ernesti, Matthise ; all well-known 
writers. 



Harris, the son of Harry, like Willis, Hughes, 
and many other examples. But there is a class 



469 

of names, like Roberts, Richards, Edwards, &c. 
which are ambiguous : for Roberts may mean the 
son of Robert, while on the other hand it may 
merely be the name of Robert Latinized into 
Robertas, and colloquially shortened into Robert's, 



Juoson for Jaooon or Jackson, on the same 
principle as Dixon is written for Dickson. 



Judson : the son of Jude. Judgson is an 
ambitious attempt to improve the preceding name 
into " the son of a judge." 

Saliva. 

A Latin word. It is absurd to derive it as the 
grammarians do from Sal, its saline taste being 
hardly perceptible. 

Things were named at first from their more 
striking and conspicuous properties : thus the water 
of the sea was very properly named Solum by the 
Latins, its saltness being conspicuous, and surely 
they would not have given a similar name to 
another liquid, nearly or quite destitute of that 
quality. 

Saliva is a word of the same origin with the 
northern word Slaver: the final short A in the 
southern languages answering to the termination 
ER of the English and Germanic idioms, in which 
the R is only obscurely sounded. We have a 



470 

most familiar example of this in the Latin Charta, 
corrupted in English into Charter. So also the 
English word Dagger is written in Spanish Daga. 

The primitive Latin word was probably Sliva, 
but in later times they never began a word with 
SL, and therefore a short vowel A was introduced 
euphonice causa. 

Thing. 

I have already given an etym of this word : but 
perhaps it is better to take the following view 
of it. 

In Hebrew* the same word (dabar) means 
(1) a word; (2) a thing; (3) a cause: whence, in 
composition, it means because or because of; (4) a 
cause in a court of law (causa sensu forensi). 

Three Aramaic and two Arabic words offer the 
same double signification of a word and a thing : 
hence it must be exceedingly natural to the 
Eastern languages, and we may therefore look 
for it in the Western too. 

And accordingly, it appears that the French chose, 
Ttal. cosa, a thing, are related first to the Latin 
causa ; and secondly to the French causer, Germ. 
kosen, to talk : so that une chose meant originally 
une parole. 

* Gesenius Heb. Lex. p. 232. 



471 

The German sache (a thing) is from sagen to say. 
It answers to both the French words chose and 
cause. (Hence the English sake. Causa mea, for 
my sake.) 

The LXX. use pTj/ta for a thing : \kbtol tcl pyfAocra 
Taura, after these things, his ita gestis. Hence 
possibly the Latin res, a thing, is from the Greek 
{typo., which would easily become rem, the accusa- 
tive of res. See Deuter. xv. 10. S/a to p^aa toxjto 
svXoyyosi <rs Kupiog. Propter hanc rem benedicet 
tibi Dominus. And 1 Sam. xii. 16. tisrs to prj/xa 
to [MsyoL touto. Videte rem hanc magnam. 

For these reasons I think it probable that the 
word Thing (Germ. Ding) may have originally 
meant a wwd : i. e. any thing we may chance to 
speak of, and that it may have been identical with 
the old Latin dingua (for lingua) mentioned by 
some writers. And I find that Adelung has 
conjectured long ago that the German Ding 
originally meant speech. 

to Surrender. 

Corrupted from the French verb se rendre, to 
yield oneself. 

To be at sixes and sevens. 
This phrase has arisen in the following way. 



472 

To be at one,* signified in old English, to be in 
harmony and union. 

To be two, is to quarrel. But to be at sixes 
and sevens, is the superlative of disunion and 
division. 

Duel. 
The Latin Duellum signifies a battle between 
any number of persons : indeed, a general war : 

" Et cadum Marsi memorem duelli." 

Hor. 

But in modern times the meaning of the word 
has been entirely misconceived, and now it means 
a conflict between two persons only. It is easy 
to perceive how this mistake arose, and it is a 
very instructive lesson to the philologist. The 
Latin word duo (two) was in constant use, and 
there was likewise a very familiar term of grammar 
— the dual number — which casual resemblance 
of sound misled the Latin-talkers of the middle 
ages, and induced a belief, that the zwey-kampf, 
or combat between two warriors, then so common, 
must be the duellum of the Romans : whereas the 
latter had no notion of such a chivalrous practice. 



* Hence the verb to atone : and atonement, signifying recon- 
ciliation or a renewal of concord and harmony. 



473 

A similar instance of modern mistake has been 
pointed out in the art. " miniature." 

Addition to the article Doivry. 

We remarked that the Italian dovizioso, rich, 
is not derived from the Latin divitice, but- from an 
older form of the word, dovitics : and that in many 
other instances the Italian forms are older than 
the Latin. An example may be desired. Take 
the following one. Farfalla, Ital. a butterfly : 
whence the dimin. farfallina, a little butterfly, or 
a moth. But this word being too long for 
common use, the first syllable was dropped, and 
it became Fallina, a moth : which is therefore the 
origin of the classical word phalcena or (paT^aiua. 

Spruce fir. 

Prussia was formerly called Pruce by the 
English. Immense forests of firs are found in 
that country, and I have been informed by a 
learned and ingenious friend that Spruce fir means 
the fir brought "from Pruce " or " out of ' Pruce." 

Tarragon. 

A kitchen herb. The older botanists called it 
drctco herba, and dracimculus* (the little dragon). 

* Artemisia dracunculus. 

3 p 



474 

But why did they give such a name to so 
inoffensive an herb, of very ordinary appearance? 
It was simply an error arising from quick speaking. 
Tarragon sounded like tragon and dragon. Which 
shews how very careless they were in their botanical 
nomenclature. 

Tuberose.* 

This very beautiful flower has a deceptive name, 
and most people are deceived by it. They suppose 
it to mean the tube-flower. Its flowers really have 
long tubes, and though not like roses, yet " rose " 
may be taken in the general sense of " a flower." 

But it is a French name, la tubereuse, from 
its having tuberous roots. It must be admitted 
that the English version is a great improvement. 
It is a good example of a word changed so as 
to produce a new meaning in another language. 

Annona. 

Anno?ia, in Botany, the Custard Apple. 

Sir J. Smith gives no etym in Rees's Cyclopaedia. 

From the Persian ?iona, a custard apple. 



It is very usual to prefix a short superfluous 
vowel to words beginning with N. For instance, 
nepos, nephew, is in Greek avs-tyiog. 

* Polyanthes tuberosa. 



475 

I will add a few more examples : the first of 
which is of importance to philology. 

AvcuvopoLi, I refuse, or deny, means literally 
" I say NAIN ! " or in German " Ich sage NEIN ! " 

Ovofxoc is the Latin nomen : Persian nam: English 
name. 

Av?j£, a male, is found to take the simpler form 
Nar or Ner in the cognate languages, &c. &c. 
The list might be considerably extended. 

Peach. Nectarine. 
A Peach: in Latin* and Italian Persica : so 
called because a native of Persia. 



Since the Nectarine is merely a variety of the 
Peach, it must have come to us from Persia 
likewise. And accordingly, it bears a Persian 
name — which no one appears hitherto to have 
suspected. 

If asked why this fruit is called a Nectarine, 
most persons would reply, because its juice is so 
delicious as to resemble the Nectar of the gods. 
Not that it really deserves the name, being excelled 
by many other fruits, but in matters of this kind 
a little exaggeration is allowable. 



Pliny. 



476 

Nectarine, however, is really a Persian word, 
which signifies " the best." 

It received this name, no doubt, from its being 
thought the finest kind of peach, and those who 
first imported it from the East, retained its native 
Persian name.* 

On the Anglo-Saxon name for a Camel. 

Our ancestors had a very remarkable name for 
the Camel. They called it Olfend or Olvend. It 
had nearly the same name in Old German, Olbent : 
and in Mgeso-Gothic, Ulband. 

Now what was the origin of this peculiar name 
— so different from the Classical term Camelus f 
No etymology is attempted in Bosworth's Anglo- 
Saxon Dictionary, nor in any other work to which 
I have access at present. I have some reason to 
suppose, therefore, that the following explanation 
may be new to philologers, and it is respectfully 
submitted to their judgment. 

Olbend or Ulbend signifies, the animal which 
kneels — a striking peculiarity of the Camel, who 
kneels to receive his burden. It may be rendered 
literally, the animal which bends the UL, that is, 



* From nee, good : superlative, nectarin, the best. See 
Forbes's Persian Grammar, p. 75, &c. &c. 



477 

the first joint of the leg. The reader will imme- 
diately recognize the old and very general European 
word OL, UL, or EL, meaning the fore part 
of the arm. 

QKsvt) and the Latin Ulna present the two first 
of these forms OL and UL. 

Elbow in English, means the bow (or bend) of 
the EL, that is, the arm. This is confirmed by 
the German El-bogen. 

The arm itself being called Ell, its length from 
the elbow to the tip of the fingers was called an 
Ell measure. So in French aulne and aune, 
derived from cohsvr), ulna. And so the Cubit 
measure (from the Latin cubitus, the elbow) had 
the same length as the Ell. 

From these considerations I think it will be 
admitted to be very probable that the Anglo-Saxon 
name of the Camel, Olfend or Ulband, signifies 
the beast which kneels down. And if so, we 
may draw a very important conclusion. For, the 
old Saxons and Germans must have been well 
acquainted with the Camel and its habits, to have 
given it such a name. Those who gave it such 
a name must have lived in Asia— for the Camel 
has never been found in Europe — and thus we 
are enabled to add one more presumptive proof 
to those already known, of the Asiatic origin of 
our ancestors. 



INDEX. 



ace, 261 
adder, 50 
addled, 38 
address, 64 
agate, 10 
agog, 277 
ague, 8 
aid, 78 
ailing, 38 
to aim, 16 
airs, 92 
alarm, 31 
alarum, 31 
alert, 172 
alley, 48 
alligator, 59 
to allow, 442 
almanack, 297 
to amerce, 254 
anachronism, 50 
ancestors, 75 
angry, 119 
anker, 312 
antelope, 40 
anthem, 40 



apoplexy, 179 
to apply, 82 
arrow, 78, 325, 369 
arsenal, 36 
artery, 257 
asgal, 339 
to ask, 241 
to assist, 201 
athwart, 38 
auger, 56 
--"August, 185,356, 382 
axe, 148 
axiom, 241, 272 
aye, 256 



bachelor, 66 
backgammon, 85 
ball, 9, 241 
barb, 122 
to bargain, 116 
bark, 8 
barley, 114 
barrow, 161, 234 
to bask, 98 
basket, 97 



to bathe, 239 
battledoor, 425 
bauble, 172 
bay, 457 
to be, 102 
beak, 45 
bean, 145 
to bear, 298 
beck, 258 
to bedew, 250 
beer, 115 
beetle, 77 
to befall, 77 
belike, 119 
bereft, 442 
to betray, 27 
bight, 457 
birch, 326 
birdlime, 105 
biscuit, 176 
bit, 419 
bitter, 85, 419 
black art, 32 
blackguard, 99 
blade, 123, 344 



480 

to blast, 42 
to bleat, 251 
blindworm, 466 
bloom, 294 
to blunder, 83 
blush, 75 
board, 23 
bogle, 233 
bolt, 125 
borough, 258 
bowl, 241 
to box, 256 
bracken, 444 
bran, 412 
brandy, 143 
to break, 62 
brick, 106 
to browbeat, 270 
to browse, 1 70 
to bruise, 308 
.. bugbear, 234, 448 
bull, 58 
bullet, 241 
bumpkin, 114 
busy, 17 
butler, 286 

cake, 281 
to call, 251 
callipers, 17 
callow, 83 
caloyer, 76 
caltrops, 391 
cameo, 98 
canal, 146 
cannibal, 171 
cannon, 146 
canoe, 146 
canon, 146 
canopy, 5 



INDEX. 

to canter, 248 
canvas, 124 
to caper, 119 
caricature, 342 
carmine, 111 
to carol, 410 
carrick, 342 
casque, 91 
cassock, 21 
catkins, 306 
causeway, 391 
to cense, 432 
censer, 432 
to chafe, 269, 445 
chaff, 123 
chamois, 111 
to champ, 269 
chance, 77 
chance-medley, 178 
channel, 146 
charm, 314 
charming, 314 
cheese, 16 
to chew, 76 
chin, 124 
to chop, 417 
chops, 270 
cider, 143 
clay, 105, 336 
to cleave, 105, 336, 

376 
clever, 403 
cliff, 376 
to climb, 149 
to cling, 336 
to clog, 105, 336 
clogs, 336 
cloves, 320 
to cloy, 336 
clubs, 403 



coarse, 23 
cock, 11 

cock of a gun, 416 
cock-a-hoop, 298 
cockatrice, 392 
cockboat, 178 
cockchafer, 61, 445 
cockswain, 178 
coffer, 97 
coffin, 96 
to compass, 33 
to compile, 243 
concert, 1 
cone, 460 
conger, 116 
consistent, 200 
constable, 224 
to contrive, 313 
coping-stone, 404 
cork, 52 
cornice, 404 
corvette, 447 
cost, 75 
court, 152 
cousin, 128 
cow, 68, 76 
cowl, 467 
crab, 68 
craft, 122 
to cram, 118 
to crave, 251 
crayfish, 95 
cricket, 296, 297 
crimson, 111 
to croak, 251 
crone, 99 
crop, 150 
crosses, 38 
to crouch, 26 
crow, 251 



INDEX. 



481 



crucible, 297 
crumb, 124 
to crumple, 49 
cruse, 127 
cube, 460 
cup, 147 
cupboard, 57 
curd, 16 
curfew, 230 
curl, 29 

curtain, 230, 231 
to cut, 239, 408 
cylinder, 460 

dagger, 112 
dairy, 220 
dapper, 115 
to dare, 249 
dart, 145 
daughter, 257 
dawn, 28 
deep, 443 
deer, 60 
desk, 151 
device, 316 
devil, 68 
to devise, 316 
dew, 250 
digits, 247 
dimity, 142 
to dip, 240 
disaster, 312 
dish, 150 
to dislocate, 264 
to disperse, 167 
to distrain, 155 
distress, 155, 156 
district, 397 
ditty, 384 
to dive, 240 



to don, 291 
door, 257 
dormouse, 61 
down, 159, 323 
dowry, 291 
dozen, 188 
draughtsman, 387 
to drill, 23 
to droop, 358 
Druid, 4 
drum, 124 
drysalter, 454 
duck, 129 
duel, 472 
dupe, 449 
dwarf, 37 
dyke, 148 

eagle, 57 
ear of corn, 343 
easy, 25 
eel, 334 
eft, 330 
either, 169 
electuary, 284 
eleven, 189 
to employ, 82 
i /to endow, 201, 29 I 
384 
Vendue, 201, 291 
to engrave, 259 
envy, 273 
era, 72 
ermine, 10 
errand, 222, 224 
esteem, 200 
ewer, 125 
expense, 168 
extant, 177, 200 
eyas, 330 

3 Q 



to fag, 326 
fair, 246 
far, 256 
to farrow, 234 
to feather, 128 
fern, 444 
ferret, 116 
fetlock, 264 
field, 9 
figures, 247 
to filch, 46 
filly, 122 
finch, 58, 223 
flageolet, 285 
flaw, 241 
to flay, 148 
floss, 10 
flush, 75, 162 
foal, 122 
forefathers, 75 
forgery, 380 
to frame, 1 7 
freckle, 116 
frontier, 90 
full, 261 
furlough, 442 

gaff, 52 
gallant, 87 
gallery, 48 
to gallop, 248 
garland, 2 
garret, 341 
to gasp, 400 
geer, 30 
to giggle, 249 
gin, 416 
gist, 68 
glass, 229 
globe, 460 



482 



INDEX. 



gloss, 42 
to gloze, 41 
to gnaw, 171 
goblin, 257 
godfather, 55 
gold, 210, 213, 217 
to gore, 433 
grandee, 440 
to grant, 92 
grateful, 261 
to graze, 163 
to greet, 29 
grig, 287, 297, 412 
grimace, 81, 448 
grist, 86, 256 
grog, 277 
groove, 331 
grotto, 259 
grub, 331 
gruff, 331 
guitar, 194 
gulf, 33 
gun, 416 
gust, 11 

hag, 307 
haggard, 307 
halo, 42 
halter, 115 
hammercloth, 465 
hamper, 101 
handy work, 442 
to hang, 170 
to hanker, 113 
harbinger, 223 
harbour, 380 
hard, 363 
hardy, 44 
hare, 83 
harness, 24 



to harry, 73 
to hash, 148 
hatchet, 148 
havock, 32 
hawk, 57 
hay, 445 
heavy, 38 
hedgehog, 59 
to heed, 117 
helix, 460 
hell, 348 
helmet, 91 
herald, 222 
heron, 58 
to hobble, 244 
hobby, 305 
hold, 345 
homage, 94 
hoopoe, 299 
hope, 276 
hostler, 36 
house, 439 — note 
hull, 346 
hump, 317 
hunch, 465 
hundred, 187 
hurly burly, 228 
hurry scurry, 228 
husk, 11 
hyperbola, 460 

imp, 39 

incense, 432 

income, 141 
/to indue, 201, 291, 

292, 384 
. to induct, 206, 293 

inert, 234 

ingot, 98 

to insinuate, 96 



to insist, 200 

interest, 73 

interest of money, 74, 

420 
intrigue, 144 
to invest, 219 
iron, 24 
island, 140 
to issue, 304 

jackdaw, 309 
jar, 68 
javelin, 112 
jaw, 99 
jest, 445 
jet, 10 
jog, 68 
joUy, 277 
jos, 72 
jovial, 78 
July, 350, 355 

kerchief, 230 
ketch, 178 
kettle, 326 
kidnapper, 239 
to kiss, 255 
kite, 57 
kith, 29 
knoU, 10 

label, 164 
ladybird, 21 
lady cow, 445 
lamprey, 334 
lance, 12 
land, 54 
to lap, 170 
lard, 163 
launch, 12 



INDEX. 



483 



lawn, 163 
to lean, 250 
to leave, 170 
leave, 442 
lee-side, 411 
legacy, 441 
leman, 73 
levee, 441 
level, 61 
to lick, 250 
like, 120 
lime, 106 
limpet, 124 
list, 21 
livelihood, 73 
lock, 299 
to lodge, 264 
loggerhead, 95 
to long for, 118 
to look, 244 
to lower, 85 
luck, 250 
lunatic, 139 
to lurk, 122 
luscious, 22 

malapert, 317 
mammoth, 56 
man of war, 90 
mantle, 335 
map, 335 
to march, 36 
marie, 140 
marquis, 25 
marsh, 443 
marshal, 37, 226 
marshalsea, 225 
martial, 226 
to mash, 250 
mat, 335 



maxim, 272 
May, 182 

maying, 184 
mead, 410 
meadow, 184 
mealymouthed, 191, 

234 
meed, 258 
to melt, 253 
merely, 221 
methinks, 162 
miniature, 455 
to mock, 80 
modern, 125 
monkey, 80 
moon, 211 
morsel, 419 
mortar, 105 
mote, 17, 322, 410 
moustache, 255 
to mow, 184 
mummers, 447 
muscle, 124 
muslin, 453 

nap, 335 

napkin, 335 
nave, 16 
nether, 259 
newt, 330 
nias, 330 
nib, 136 
to nibble, 136 
nine, 189 
noisome, 279 
noU, 10 
nonce, 238 
nostrils, 23 

odd, 131 



ogre, 11, 465 

oH, 334 

olfend {A. Sax.), 476 

once, 238 

osier, 126 

ounce, 300 

to outstrip, 396 

oven, 152 

page, 219 

pail, 121 

pain, 323 

pannier, 97 

pantry, 169 

parade, 252 

passover, 397 

path, 149 

to patter, 49 

peascod, 229 

pedlar, 288 

peer of the realm, 420 

pellet, 241 

to pelt, 241 

penny, 309, 424 

penury, 165 

to persist, 200 

perspective, 35 

perverse, 71 

pert, 273 

phiz, 423, 449 

to pick, 45 

pick axe, 46 

piecemeal, 235 

pier, 400 

pile, 242 

pill, 241 

to pine, 117 

pint, 53 

pitch, 115 

plat, 162 



484 



INDEX. 



platoon, 242 
plight, 112 
plot, 144, 162 
plough-tail, 244 
poignant, 418 
polecat, 308 
police, 121 
polite, 121 
poniard, 418 
pony, 122 
porcupine, 60 
porpoise, 417 
porringer, 12 
portion, 167 
portrait, 386 
possessed, 70 
pottinger, 12 
pretty, 253 
to prick, 46 
pride, 253 
prim, 280 
prince, 231 
proper, 251 
prowess, 39 
punch, 144 
puppy, 77 
purblind, 33, 382 
to purl, 313 
puss, 456 

to quail, 22 
queen bee, 411 
quibble, 42 

race, 409 
racket, 9 
raft, 240 
rag, 127 
rain, 127 
ram, 153 



to ram, 118 
to ramble, 445 
ransom, 41 
rather, 164 
to rattle, 260 
raven, 125 
to raze, 383 
ready, 164 
to reap, 249 
to reave, 442 
redoubtable, 129 
redress, 63 
redstart, 245 
reed, 324 
regard, 466 
to regret, 96 
reindeer, 60 
renegade, 337 
rent, 141 
to requite, 171 
respect, 466 
restive, 199 
revenue, 141 
reynard, 467 
rib, 7 
right, 64 
ripe, 249 
ripple, 87 
to roam, 402 
roan, 122 
to rock, 84 
roebuck, 61 
roof, 149 
rope, 240 
rough, 84 
to rumple, 49 
runagate, 337 
russet, 8 
to rustle, 260 



to sack, 77 
saliva, 469 
to sap, 240 
saturnine, 340 
saucy, 271 
savage, 119 
scarce, 166 
to scatter, 166 
scent, 431 
sceptic, 170 
to scoff, 170 
to scold, 85 
to scoop, 148 
to scorch, 52 
scorn, 310 
to scout, 170 
scullery, 93 
scum, 84 
sect, 266 
sedge, 325 
to seethe, 260 
sept, 268 
seres, 62 
set, 265 
shabby, 27 
shadow, 99 
shaft, 240 
shallow, 22 
share, 377 
to shear, 377 
to shed, 168 
ship, 147 
shire, 377 
shoal, 22 
short, 409 
shovel, 122 
to show, 454 
shred, 377 
shrub, 144 
shuttlecock, 425 



INDEX. 



485 



Sibyl, 194 
sick, 169 
to sift, 171 
sine, 457 
sister, 6 
skiff, 147 
to skim, 84 
sledge hammer, 8 
slime, 106 
to slink, 95 
to smelt, 253 
smith, 77 
snake, 96 
to snap, 136 
to sneak, 96 
to sneeze, 27 
to snip, 137 
snipe, 58, 136 
snuff, 134 
son, 71 
spade, 122 
to spare, 165 
spark, 167 
specie, 130 
speed, 170 
to spend, 168 
spice, 19 
spider, 61 
spot, 85 

to squander, 168 
to squirt, 166 
staff, 225 
to stain, 23 
stake, 66 
stalk, 127 
to stand, 102 
standard, 153, 289 
starch, 12 
to steep, 327 
to steer, 245 



stem of a ship, 405 
to stem, 406 
to step, 250 
stern, 245 
stern, adj. 339 
steward, 286 
to stickle, 118 
stickleback, 116 
stiff, 327 
to stifle, 328 
stiletto, 87 
to sting, 256 
stingy, 153 
stirrup, 47, 289 
stitch, 255 
stock, 86 
stoker, 441 
to stop, 464 
stork, 58 
straight, 64, 153 
strain, 155 
to strain, 154 
strait, 153 
strap, 158 
to stretch, 154, 396 
stress, 156 
strict, 153 
to strike, 397 
string, 154 
to strip, 394 
strong, 158 
to strut, 294 
stubborn, 129 
stuff, 86 
to stuff, 328 
stump, 150 
to subsist, 200 
substance, 200 
suit, 265 
suite, 265 



sultry, 314 
sun, 211, 215 
supercilious, 270 
surname, 68 
to surrender, 471 
surtout, 452 
to sweep, 328 
to swelter, 314 
swoop, 328 
symbol, 195 
syncope, 364 

tail, 244 
tailor, 435 
tall, 21 
task, 149 
tax, 149 
ten, 187 
terse, 260 
to test, 466 
tester, 309 
;>thing, 13, 470 
thrilling, 23 
thrush, 126 
to thwack, 85 
to thwart, 38, 312 
tippet, 454 
to tire, 249 
to tow, 159 
towel, 113, 335 
town, 160 
treachery, 27 
treason, 27 
tress, 144 
trice, 13 
trick, 27 
trunk, 35 
to tug, 159 
tune, 155 
turncoat, 21 



486 



IXDEX. 



twelve, 189 
twilight, 72 
to twit, 192 

undertaking, 78 
unit, 111 
urchin, 62 
usher, 304 
usquebaugh, 143 

vaunt, 28 
victuals, 113 
villain, 49 
vixen, 59 

walrus, 411 
wanton, 306 



warfare, 129 
warm, 129 
to warp, 83 
wave, 52 
to waver, 52 
wax, 307 
to wed, 30 
to weigh, 51 
well, 259 
well- a- day, 83 
to wish, 276 
wistful, 275 
whale, 119 
to whet, 18 
whisky, 143 
windlass, 39 
wiseacre, 199 



witch, 197 
wizard, 197 
wolf, 400 
wool, 149 
to worm, 466 
wrack, 434 
wreck, 434 
wrangler, 67 
wren, 310 
wrinkle, 49 

to yawn, 260 
yeast, 115 
yellow, 210, 213 
yellowhammer, 58 
yule, 26, 350 



INDEX. 



487 



PROPER NAMES. 



Alured, 79 
Athelstan, 108 
Beda, 110 
Bob, 299 
Brennus, 232 
Caliban, 108 
Catherine, 193, 329 
Charles, 107 
Christopher, 108, 345 
Conrad, 305 
Cuthbert, 110 
Cymbeline, 317 
Dorothy, 427 
Edward, 426 
George, 107 
Gregory, 175 
Heloise, 329 
Hildebrand, 79 
James, 427 
John, 428 
Juliet, 402 
Leoline, 193 



Meggie, 299 
Odo, 426 
Otho, 426 
Peggy, 299 
Robert, 426 
Roger, 426 
Romeo, 402 
Rory, 427 
Rosamond, 79 
Rudiger, 426 
Rupert, 426 
Rurick, 427 
Terry, 427 
Theodore, 427 
Theodoric, 427 
William, 108 
Zoroaster, 212 



English surnames (va- 
rious) at pages 301, 
318,413,435,462, 
467 



Baltic sea, 89 
Berkshire, 161 
Brazil, 451 
Celts, 370 
China, 342 
Cingalese, 94 
Devonshire, 164 
Galatians, 87 
Gauls, 87 
Goths, 94, 370 
Hebrides, 192 
Ireland, 193 
Java, 451 
Milan, 54 
Negropont, 53 
Ostend, 378 
Poland, 7 
Scio, 451 
Start point, 245 



488 



NAMES OF PLANTS. 



alexanders, 388 


guelder-rose, 88 


petunia, 279 


annona, 474 




polypody, 444 


apple, 152 


heart's ease, 333 


pumpkin, 207 


arbor Jud<E, 89 


-henbane, 14, 278, 283, 




arrowroot, 49 


389 


raisin, 3 


artichoke, 90 


tercfoY, 279 


rites, 128 


ash, 377 


houseleek, 15 


rwe, 100 


asparagus, 358, 433 






asphodel, 101 


/ofi's tears, 357 


sarsaparilla, 389 
savory, 18 


tey, 66 


lathy r is, 285 


scariola, 359 


Jme, 360 


lavender, 48 


scolopendrium, 444 


bryony, 360 


lupine, 406 


scorzonera, 359 




lycoperdon, 406 


southernwood, 14 


calcitrapa, 391 


lycopodium, 406 


spinach, 288 


cardoon, 407 




spruce fir, 473 


carlina, 408 


malvaviscus, 209 


squill, 93 


cascarilla, 91 


marguerite, 429 


strawberry, 20 


cicely, 369 


mars/* mallow, 209 


succory, 359 


c/ow carnation, 434 


marsh marygold, 443 


sunflower, 215, 218 


c/over, 337 


marygold, 218 




cloves, 19 


mastic, 329 


tewsy, 332 


codling, 100 


may, 431 


tarragon, 473 


cowcA grass, 100 


may -weed, 431 


tease/, 407 


currant, 3 


me/orc, 207 


*ra/?a, 391 




mimosa, 100 


tuberose, 474 


daffodil, 101 


mulberry, 20 




dracunculus, 473 


mullein, 15 


vanilla, 48 




mustard, 132 


wteA, 207 


eglantine, 331 




viburnum, 360 




nectarine, 475 


w«£, 360 


foxglove, 4, 194 


onopordon, 407 


viorna, 360 


garlick, 433 




walnut, 307 


gilliflower, 18 


pansy, 332 


ivay bread, 412 


gooseberry, 450 


parthenium, 429, 431 


wolfsbane, 281 


grape, 127 


penny-royal, 18 


woodbine, 360 



LATIN INDEX. 



489 



LATIN WORDS WHOSE ORIGIN OR AFFINITY 
IS ILLUSTRATED. 



absinthium, 15 
achates, 10 
sestimare, 200 
ala, 111 
alacris, 173 
altercangenon, 278 
apparatus, 252 
aquila, 57 
ardere, 362, 363 
arduus, 363 
argentum, 212 
arum, 49 
audere, 362, 363 
Augustus mens., 185 

balsena, 119 
blechnon, 444 

callis, 48 
canna, 146 
carpere, 150 
caseus, 16 
cassis, 91 
causa, 470 
cicada, 296 
circumsedere, 71 
cohors, 152 
conger, 116 
constare, 75 
cophinus, 96 
cortex, 52 
cortina, 6, 231 



costa, 7 
cotoneum, 100 
culter, 239, 377 
curtus, 409 
cymba, 148 

deus, 219 

dexter, 64 

distinctio, 256 

dives, 204, 291 

dos, 384 

dotare, 204, 205, 291 

Elysium, 215 
emberiza, 58 
esse, 102 
exiguus, 281 
existere, 104, 177,200 
existimare, 200 
exstare, 177, 200 

far, 114 
fermentum, 115 
floccus, 299 
framea, 378 
furfur, 412 

gagates, 10 
glastum, 229 
gracilis, 281 
gutta, 99 



hasta, 377 
hibiscus, 209 
hippomanes, 390 

induere, 292 
indusium, 293 
inertia, 234 
invidia, 275 
invitus, 274 
irpus, 400 

Jovianus, 430 
Junius, 430 
Jupiter, 219 

lancea, 12 
lardum, 163 
limus, 106 
litus, 8 
lupinus, 407 
lynx, 300 

Maius mens., 182 
mala, 111 
maltha, 105 
mantele, 335 
mappa, 335 
mariscus, 443 
Mars, 227 
melogratum, 411 
merum, 221 
metere, 185 



490 

Midas, 214 
Momus, 447 
murum, 20 
mutare, 204 

nasturtium, 132 
nisus, 330 
noxa, 280 

obsidere, 71 
oUa, 111 
onyx, 303, 318 
os, 305 
ostium, 305 

palus, 111 
paulum, 111 
phalaena, 473 
Phorcus, 418 
poculum, 204 
portio, 167 
prsesagus, 198 
prosapia, 269 
pugio, 418 
pugnare, 418 
pulegium, 18 
pullus, 111 



LATIN INDEX. 

quercus, 53 

ratis, 240 
rectus, 64 
regula, 65 
renuere, 338 
res, 13, 471 
rex, 65 
ripa, 7 
rudis, 84 
rupes, 376 

saga, 198 
saxum, 376 
scaturigo, 168 
scurra, 328 
scylla, 22 
scyphus, 148 
secta, 266 
Sibylla, 194 
sicera, 143 
sinapi, 134 
sistere, 199 
soboles, 269 
sol, 216 
solidus, 218 
spica, 20, 343 



spuma, 84 
stare, 102 
status, 104 
stinguere, 256 
stipare, 328 
strenuus, 158 
strictus, 156,385,395 
stringere, 154, 156, 

157 
strupus, 158 
susceptum, 78 

talpa, 441 
talus, 111 
tilia, 239 
tristis, 156 
turdus, 126 

upupa, 299 

vacillari, 52 

vse, 83 

vagus, 52 

vicia, 207 

Virgo constell., 197 

viridis, 229 

vitrum, 229 



GREEK INDEX. 



491 



GREEK WORDS WHOSE ORIGIN OR AFFINITY 
IS ILLUSTRATED. 



ayypi£u), 119 
aiyiXov, 332 
Aidrjg, 348 
aKparov, 221 
a\<piTa, 412 
a/j.epd(o, 254 
a/jLiWa, 178 
avaivo/jiai, 475 
ava-^povLafxog, 50 
avEipwg, 474 
a£«u, 241 
a^ioj/da, 241 . 
a7riov, 152 
a7T07rXr/^ia, 179 
apacraio, 260 
Apje, 130 
aprripior, 257 
cMTKaXafiog, 339 
aoTrapayoe, 358 
aa(f)0()e\og , 101 
arpsKtig, 27 

/3a7rra>, 239 
fiXriyvov, 444 
/3oaw, 295 

ck\0iv, 417 
hiaQriKT), 316 
eW/coe, 150 
eoKEio, 162 
^vrrw, 240, 443 



eyxeipifiiov, 418 
eXaiov, 334 
EjU7rovcra, 262 
evvvro, 292 

£V7-£Ct, 293 

evrvvw, 293 

EVTVit), 293 
fTTOl//, 299 
EvdvVOJ, 65 

Z£V£, 219 

rfXiog, 213 

ipHTKoe, 209 
lOvvu), 65 
Iwavvrye, 430 

»ea\7ra£a>, 248 
kclvuv, 147 
Kap-rrog, 150 
KapvotyvWov, 20 
mate, 128 
KEfxag, 112 
Kfvoc, 146 
Ktdapa, 194 
/a X Xt£w, 249 
KXifjiaE,, 149 
KoftaXog, 257 
*co\7roc, 33 

K07TTU), 239 



Kopiovig, 405, 406 
Kotyivog, 96 
/cpi077, 256 
KvicXwi^, 354 
KVfxpr], 148 

KVVOKTOVOV , 284 

/cv7rf\Xo^, 147 
Kw&a, 229 

Xapivog, 163 
Xevctvu), 244 
X??yw, 441 
Xvy£, 300 
Xvkoktovov, 282 
Xoy^T/, 13 

fiavrjg, 140 

luLaffTL^T), 330 

^fflv, 410 
prXSw, 254 
jjiEXog, 236 
fxrfXov, 236 
p<70o£, 258 
[xopov, 20 

fjLU)Ka(i), 80 

/jLOjXog, 178 

vrirpEurfg, 27 
voaog, 280 

oiKOPOfjiog, 286 



492 



GREEK INDEX. 



01V7], 262 

otvoira, 262 
oiava, 126 
ovokioXt], 263 
ovoirop^ov , 408 
qvogkeXlq, 263 
owZ> 318, 320 

07H7, 56 

ovXog, 149 

TrapQevwv, 429, 431 
Trevia, 324 

7r€7TW^, 207 
7rr)yrj, 258 
7rXaytauXo£, 285 
TrXarrj, 123 
TrXovroc, 242 

7TOVrjf)OQ, 69 

7ro^oe, 324 

7TjO£7rW, 251 



7rpo7rr]Xam^(t), 311 
TrreXm, 239 

pCLTTTU), 240 

(or/yua, 471 

<r/7,oayi;, 327 
criKepa, 143 
<7iv<W, 432, 453 

(rKCLTTTlO, 148, 240 
0Ta0oc, 147 

(TKEpj3oXX(i), 311 

<r/aa£o£, 99 
ovaXXa, 93 
aricopa.Ki£(i), 328 
<TKV(f)og, 148 
(nrapvoQ, 165 

07T£V()to, 168 

(tteiXeiov, 244 
(m£(t), 255 



arpovdoQ, 126 
(rrv0w, 327, 328 
orvyKoxr), 364 

(TVKIVOQ, 208 

vvpiyl, 527 

T07TOQ, 85 

rpifiapKiaia, 36 
rpioicrrjg, 27 

vTvoaTaaiQ, 201 

0aXatva, 119, 473 

Xcuvto, 260 
Xtoe, 451 
^oipag, 417 
Xoproc, 152 

(jjfxoTtXaTY], 123 



MR -0 151(2 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: Nov. 2006 

PreservationTechnologies 

A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 
1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township, PA 16066 
(724)779-2111 



